The Men-in-Blue’s unbeaten march to the Asia Cup final has done little to mask the unease surrounding India’s captain.

Suryakumar Yadav, once hailed for his 360-degree audacity, now finds himself at the centre of concern as his runs dry up under the weight of leadership.

The signs were visible again at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India beat Bangladesh by 41 runs on Wednesday, but their captain’s batting betrayed neither fluency nor assurance.

A mix-up with Abhishek Sharma led to the opener’s dismissal and Suryakumar himself followed in the same over. His scores at the Asia Cup now read 7 not out, 47, 0 and 5.

Earlier this year against England, across five T20Is, he managed only 28 runs at an average of 5.60, including two ducks.

In 2025, his form has plunged further. Across nine innings he has scored just 87 runs at 12.4 with a strike rate of 113.

His dot-ball percentage has crept close to 50. By every measure, India’s captain is the weakest link in the batting line up.

When he took charge, Suryakumar was clear about the kind of role he wanted to play in the group.

Ahead of the second T20I against England in Chennai in January, he had said: “I feel I don’t just want to be a captain; I want to be a leader. If we want to achieve something as a group, everyone has to be on the same page. These are the small things I keep telling them – the basics, good habits to follow on the ground and off the field. And when you step onto the ground, just leave your body and enjoy what’s happening.”

The words outlined his intent to lead beyond tactics, but they now jar against the personal struggle with the bat that has defined his tenure.

For Sunil Gavaskar, the failures are more about method than numbers. “He came at number four and got out playing the same shot again. That is normally a very productive shot for him, but when you are struggling, maybe you should not play it until you have really gotten a feel for the surface,” the former India captain said.

Since taking over as captain, Suryakumar’s batting average has tumbled to 26.82 from 43.40. His strike rate has plunged from 168.17 to 156.2.

In 27 matches under his leadership, he has 617 runs in 25 innings with one century and four fifties. Before captaincy, he had amassed 2,040 runs in 58 innings with three centuries and 17 fifties.

His boundaries have halved, down to 61 fours and 34 sixes as captain from 181 fours and 114 sixes earlier.

The decline is stark when set against his peak. In 2022 and 2023 he averaged 46.6 and 48.9 with strike rates above 150, littered with centuries and half-centuries.

By 2024 that average had dropped to 26.8, though his strike rate remained intact at 151.6. In 2025, the runs have almost vanished.

Ten times in his last 20 innings since the T20 World Cup he has failed to reach double figures.

Compounding the crisis is an unsettled batting position. Suryakumar, a number four, has been shifted between three, four and five. The flux has done nothing to restore rhythm.

History offers precedent. Sachin Tendulkar, burdened by captaincy in the late 1990s, saw his ODI average slip from 46.16 to 37.75.

Tendulkar later admitted in his autobiography that losing the captaincy was humiliating but freed him to bat without distraction.

India may have marched into the Asia Cup final unbeaten, but their leader is scraping the bottom of his own form.

The final on Sunday will demand not only the marshalling of men but the rediscovery of strokes that once defined him.

The side will hope the burden of the job does not sink the man they chose to carry it.