'Monkey off the back': Ashwin on Suryakumar Yadav's knock in 1st T20I vs New Zealand

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes captain Suryakumar Yadav’s 22-ball 32 in the opening T20I against New Zealand helped take the “monkey off his back” after a prolonged lean patch. Ashwin pointed out that Suryakumar had been under scrutiny due to his form, having averaged just over 13 across his previous 21 innings, but said the Indian skipper “looked in his element” during his brief yet impactful knock that included four boundaries and a six.


India extended their strong run with a convincing 48-run victory over New Zealand to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The hosts piled up a formidable 238 for seven, driven by Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 84 off 35 balls and a finishing flourish from Rinku Singh, who remained unbeaten on 44 off 20 deliveries. In reply, New Zealand were powered by Glenn Phillips’ 78 off 39 balls and Mark Chapman’s 39 off 24, but the Indian bowling unit kept things under control to restrict the visitors to 190 for seven.



Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat, Ashwin felt Suryakumar could easily have pushed for a half-century but instead stayed true to the team’s attacking philosophy, calling the innings a “big positive”.

"It is a monkey off the back. A lot of people were talking about Suryakumar's batting and his form and all of that. In all honesty, in T20 cricket, you don't have to aim for consistency. What I liked was that he got those runs; he looked in good touch today. If a batter wants to look to get runs, they would have looked to get a fifty. But Surya did not do that. This team has a theme, they will look to keep scoring and hitting. He looked in his element. He looked good and this is a big positive for him."

The innings marked only the third time Suryakumar crossed the 30-run mark in his last 20 outings.

Ashwin also suggested that the current combination could be India’s blueprint for the upcoming T20 World Cup, stressing that Arshdeep Singh should not be rotated, calling him a “marquee bowler who cannot be left out”.

"Maybe there will surely be a conversation to bring in a bowler, seeing how (Shivam) Dube's bowling goes. But he got three overs today. So they are backing his bowling, and I think there are conversations around him bowling. This is probably the combination," he added.

Reflecting on Kuldeep Yadav missing the first T20I after a difficult ODI series, Ashwin termed it a “break to reflect upon”.

"But I am a big fan (of Kuldeep). You will have to get strong as a pack in T20 cricket and address the strengths somewhere else. If you do not have Jasprit Bumrah or someone else, then you have to address with a bit of batting depth. But in this team, you are getting runs in the powerplay, Hardik (Pandya) is scoring, you have seven bowling options. I would like to play Bumrah, Arshdeep (Singh), Varun (Chakravarthy), and Kuldeep. But if it is like today, then it is absolutely fine," he said.

In the match, New Zealand opted to field first. Alongside Abhishek and Rinku, valuable contributions from Suryakumar (32 off 22) and Hardik Pandya (25 off 16) powered India to 238 for seven. Jacob Duffy (2/27) and Kyle Jamieson (2/54) were the standout bowlers for the visitors.

New Zealand slumped to 52 for three during the chase before a 79-run stand between Phillips and Chapman revived hopes. However, disciplined spells from Varun Chakravarthy (2/37) and Arshdeep Singh (1/31) ensured India sealed a comfortable win and an early advantage in the series.


Get the latest WPL 2026 updates including WPL teams, full WPL 2026 schedule, and live scores for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants, and Delhi Capitals. Also check the latest WPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.