Captain Suryakumar Yadav reaches Tirupati before T20 World Cup, offers prayers with wife, VIDEO

India's T20 International captain Suryakumar Yadav visited the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati on Tuesday on the auspicious occasion of Vaikuntha Ekadashi. The Indian captain, along with his wife Devisha, offered prayers and sought blessings at one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in Hinduism. This visit comes just a few weeks before the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on February 7 in Mumbai.

India recently defeated South Africa 3-1 under his captaincy, but his individual batting form remains a cause for concern. Also Read: Virat Kohli to play again in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, match scheduled for this date Suryakumar Yadav was seen interacting briefly with the media while entering the temple premises. He was wearing a pink sherwani, while Devisha was seen in a traditional silk saree. During this time, Suryakumar did not disappoint some fans who recognized him and even took selfies with them. This trip was part of a family vacation for the 35-year-old batsman, which he took after a busy international schedule.

VIDEO | Andhra Pradesh: Cricketer Suryakumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) along with his wife Devisha Shetty offers prayers at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Tirumala, Tirupati, on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadashi.#Tirupati

(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/zCmiUigjy2

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 30, 2025

Series against New Zealand from January 21

Following this, Suryakumar Yadav will lead India in a five-match T20 International series against New Zealand, which will begin on January 21. This series is considered very important before the T20 World Cup. Although the team's results have been consistently positive, questions have been raised about the captain's batting form for the past year.

Captain Out of Form

By his own high standards, 2025 was one of the toughest years for Suryakumar Yadav in T20 International cricket. He failed to score a single half-century throughout the year. He managed only 218 runs in 19 innings, with an average of 13.62 and a strike rate of 123.16. His highest score was 47, which came during the Asia Cup. Also Read: Smriti Mandhana joins the 10,000-run club, becomes the fourth player in the world to do so

Summary

Suryakumar Yadav struggles continued in the home series against South Africa. Despite India winning the series, Suryakumar Yadav could only manage 34 runs in four innings. His average during this period was 8.50 and his strike rate was 103.03. Despite this, the Indian captain remains confident and optimistic about a comeback.