"We Should've Had a Second Plan" – Suryakumar Yadav Blames Himself After Defeat to South Africa

Udaipur, Dec 12, 2025: India suffered a 51-run defeat to South Africa in the second T20I of the five-match series in Mullanpur. The hosts failed in both batting and bowling, leading to their biggest-ever T20I loss at home. While chasing 214 runs, opener Shubman Gill got out for a golden duck. Axar Patel came in at number three and scored 21 runs off 21 balls. Suryakumar Yadav also struggled and scored only five runs.

India were 32/3 at one point, and even though Tilak Varma played well, the team still lost badly. After the match, Suryakumar took the blame on himself and Gill. He said the top order must play better and cannot always depend on Abhishek Sharma for a good start. He also said it is a learning process and admitted that the team had no backup plan.

“We should have had a second plan, but we didn’t go to that. But it’s okay. As I said, it’s a learning process. We learned how they bowled in the second innings. We learned from that and will try to execute in the next game. I think myself and Shubman could have given a better start because we can’t rely on Abhishek all the time,” Suryakumar said in the post-match presentation.

Suryakumar Admits He Should Have Taken More Responsibility

“The way he’s been batting, he might have an off-day. Me, Shubman and a few other batters should have taken the responsibility. I think it could have been a smart chase. But it’s okay, Shubman got out on the first ball. I should have taken that responsibility and batted a little deeper. As I said, we learn and try to do better in the next game,” he added.

The series is now level at 1-1, and the third T20I will be played on December 14 in Dharamshala.

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