"Ask yourself some questions" - Aakash Chopra's big statement on Team India star after Asia Cup 2025 final

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has opined that T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav must ask himself some tough questions after his flop show with the bat in Asia Cup 2025. Chopra added that while the Men in Blue did manage to lift the trophy, the skipper should analyze his individual performance in detail.

India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the thrilling Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai on Sunday, September 28. Bowling first after winning the toss, they held Pakistan to 146. However, in the chase, they crumbled to 20-3 inside the powerplay, with Suryakumar (1) yet again perishing cheaply. He chipped a catch to mid-off while trying to take on Shaheen Afridi.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo after Team India's Asia Cup 2025 triumph, Chopra was critical of Suryakumar and urged the Men in Blue captain to pull his socks up with regard to his batting. The former India opener commented:

"He will be bothered, I am pretty sure, because the numbers are not adding up at this point in time. As a skipper, who is not just a skipper, you are also batting at three, when you have a bat in hand, you are a batter first. As a batter, you have a responsibility to just do what is needed on the day, and if you are not able to fulfil that responsibility 7 out of 10 times, then you must ask yourself some questions.

"I'm pretty sure when he looks back at this tournament, yes, trophy, winning captain, and all of that, it's wonderful, but even though it's a team game, we are still very individual," the 48-year-old went on to add.

After India lost three early wickets in the chase, Tilak Varma (69* off 53) guided the ship with help from Sanju Samson (24 off 21) and Shivam Dube (33 off 22).

---

"Suryakumar is getting out to the slower ball too often" - Varun Aaron on Indian skipper's woes in Asia Cup 2025

While analyzing Suryakumar's struggles with the bat in Asia Cup 2025, former India pacer Varun Aaron opined that he seems to have a weakness against the short. Aaron also pointed out to the batter's poor record in tournament finals and added that he needs to score in knockout games. The former RCB pacer said:

"We see a pattern where Suryakumar Yadav is getting out to the slower ball far too often. We have seen it in the IPL, we have seen it in the international circuit, and the slow wickets just didn't help him at all. If he is going to lead the Indian team and play high-pressure games, he is going to have to score those runs at the right time."

Before being dismissed for 1 in the Asia Cup 2025 final, Suryakumar was out for 18 off 28 in the 2023 ODI World Cup final and three off four in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. He ended Asia Cup 2025 with 72 runs at an average of 18.