India’s batting lineup remains among the strongest in world cricket, which makes its occasional failures in 2026 all the more notable.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Extended Slump
The most consequential individual batting failure of the year: Suryakumar’s form decline through 2025 and into IPL 2026, where he managed just 270 runs in 13 matches at an average of 20.77, directly cost him the T20I captaincy. Full context is in our dedicated update.
Sanju Samson’s Ireland-England Struggles
Just months after being named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, Samson managed only six runs in three innings during the July tour, enough to cost him his XI place, as covered in our Samson piece.
The Japan Top-Order Collapse
- India’s top order struggled badly on a testing surface against Japan’s spin-heavy attack on September 22
- Captain Shreyas Iyer had to rescue the innings personally, guiding India to just 32 for four in five overs
- India survived by two runs, a result covered fully in our Iyer update
Why These Moments Matter
Individually, none of these failures threatens India’s overall dominance. Collectively, they explain several of the selection calls covered in our piece on India’s 2026 selection controversies.