India’s batting order had a bad night in Mullanpur, and Suryakumar Yadav did not hide from it. The captain openly said that he and Shubman Gill failed, and that India cannot keep depending on Abhishek Sharma every match.

What Suryakumar Yadav said after the defeat

After South Africa beat India by 51 runs in the second T20I, Suryakumar Yadav accepted that the batting unit, especially the senior batters, let the team down. India were chasing 214 but were bowled out for 162 in 19.1 overs. Quinton de Kock’s 90 and Ottniel Baartman’s 4 for 24 set up the big win for the Proteas.

At the press conference, Suryakumar said that he and Shubman Gill should have given a solid start and taken pressure off Abhishek Sharma. He admitted that Abhishek has been scoring most of the runs recently, and that it is unfair to expect him to deliver every time. He also said he should have taken more responsibility and batted deeper in the chase.

Overreliance on Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma has been India’s main attacking option at the top in this series. In the second T20I, though, he fell early, and the rest of the batting could not handle the pressure. Suryakumar said clearly that the team “can’t rely on Abhishek all the time” because even in‑form players have off days.

The idea from the captain is simple: the top three and the other batters must share the scoring load. If Abhishek gets out early, players like Gill, Suryakumar, and the middle order have to take control, rotate strike, and build the chase smartly instead of trying to hit from ball one without a base.

Shubman Gill’s T20I struggle continues

Shubman Gill’s lean patch in T20Is continued in this game. Facing his first ball, he got a beauty from Lungi Ngidi that seamed away and took the edge to the keeper. Gill is yet to fully settle into the shortest format for India, even though he is the vice‑captain and a star in Tests and ODIs.

Suryakumar did not criticise Gill but accepted that both of them needed to give a better start, especially in front of their home crowd in Punjab. The local fans were hoping to see Gill and Abhishek shine together, but both fell early, and the innings never really recovered.

Key dismissals that hurt India

After Gill edged Ngidi first ball, Abhishek Sharma was also caught behind in the next over off Marco Jansen. Soon after, Suryakumar himself got a faint edge trying to play Jansen, leaving India three down very quickly. From that position, the chase became very difficult.

India tried to use Axar Patel higher up the order because he has batted well in longer formats recently. Suryakumar said the team wanted him to bat with the same freedom, and although Axar did play some shots, the move did not change the result. South Africa’s bowlers kept taking wickets and never allowed a big partnership to form.

Series level at 1–1 with Dharamsala up next

With this win, South Africa have levelled the five‑match T20I series 1–1. India had won the first game, but this heavy defeat has shown areas to fix, especially top‑order consistency and better planning in big chases. The third T20I will be played in Dharamsala on December 14, where India will look to bounce back and take the lead again.