Suryakumar Yadav insisting that he is "out of runs, not out of form" is, on the surface, a batter's familiar act of self-belief. It is also an important distinction in cricketing language. A player out of runs is assumed to be doing most things right but lacking outcomes, while a player out of form is thought to be battling deeper technical issues. In Suryakumar's case, however, the numbers from the last 15 months suggest the line between the two may no longer be as clear-cut as he would like it to be.

From his debut in early 2021 to late 2024, Suryakumar was arguably the most disruptive T20 batter in the world. His ability to score at will, regardless of field placings or matchups, made him a once-in-a-generation outlier in an Indian batting order otherwise built on orthodoxy. He not only accumulated volume of runs but scored them in a way he warped bowling plans of opposition captains.

A third of his runs against pace came from the quarter-pie region behind square on the leg side, an area most batters treat as a release option rather than a scoring zone. What made him exceptional was that bowlers could not overcorrect, as anything outside off stump could disappear over extra cover just as easily.