India, Jan. 22 -- India captain Suryakumar Yadav displayed encouraging signs with the bat in the first T20I against New Zealand, even though another fifty continued to elude him. The right-hander looked far more assured during his 32 off 22 balls, an innings that included four boundaries and a six. More importantly, his timing and shot selection stood out. A trademark pick-up shot played cleanly behind the wicket was a clear reminder of his confidence returning. While the scorecard may not reflect a big contribution, the fluency of his knock suggested he is slowly finding his rhythm again at the crease.

After India's thumping 48-run win in Nagpur, Suryakumar reflected on his batting, where he looked far more fluent at the crease despite ...