Suryakumar Yadav vs Shreyas Iyer: Who Is Better? Batting and Stats Comparison

Two right-handed batsmen. Two very different games. Suryakumar Yadav plays shots that most cricketers can’t even think of. Shreyas Iyer creates innings with timing and placement that rarely look rushed.

Both have represented India at the highest level. Both have produced big IPL seasons. But the stats tell a story that goes beyond highlight reels. Here’s how they stack up in each format.

T20 International Cricket

This is where Suryakumar Yadav stands alone. In 113 T20I matches, he has scored 3272 runs at an average of 36.4 and a strike rate of 162.9, including four centuries and 25 half-centuries. No Indian batsman in T20I history has scored at such a rate in so many matches.

Shreyas has played 51 T20Is, scoring 1104 runs at an average of 30.7 and a strike rate of 136.1. The difference in strike rate is not small. It is more than 26 points and that difference is big at the T20 international level. Suryakumar wins this format without argument.

ODI Cricket

The format changes and the picture also changes. Shreyas Iyer has played 76 ODIs in which he has scored 2977 runs at an average of 46.5 and a strike rate of 98.6, including five centuries. These figures show that a person is ready for a 50-over game.

Suryakumar has played only 37 ODIs in which he has scored 773 runs at an average of 25.8 and a strike rate of 105. He does not have any ODI centuries. The comparison is not close. Shreyas is a very good batsman in ODI cricket and his figures prove it.

Test Cricket

Shreyas Iyer has played 14 Tests in which he has scored 811 runs at an average of 36.9, including one century and five half-centuries. Suryakumar has played only one Test in which he has scored 8 runs. There is no comparison here.

Shreyas’ Test record is really good. Suryakumar has rarely been given a chance at that level and the selectors have mostly continued to use him in the shorter formats.

Also Read: Head And Marsh to Miss Bangladesh ODIs, Australia Make Changes

IPL

Most fans use this format to evaluate both the players and the statistics are really close. Suryakumar has played 179 IPL matches in which he has scored 4581 runs at an average of 33.7 and a strike rate of 148.6.

Shreyas has played 147 matches in which he has scored 4229 runs at an average of 35.8 and a strike rate of 136.7. Suryakumar has scored faster runs. Shreyas has a higher average. Suryakumar enjoyed a great IPL in 2025, scoring 717 runs at a strike rate of 167.91.

In the last two IPL editions, Shreyas Iyer has scored more than 400 runs, including 604 in 2025 and 498 in 2026, and has crossed the 300-run mark every time he has played at least 14 games in a season. Consistency versus explosiveness. There is merit in both arguments.

First-Class and List A Cricket

The red-ball record reveals something interesting. Shreyas Iyer has scored 6408 first-class runs at an average of 47.8 with 15 centuries. Suryakumar has scored 5758 first-class runs at an average of 42.3 with 14 centuries.

The gap widens even further in List A cricket. Shreyas has scored 6772 runs at an average of 48.4, while Suryakumar has scored 3704 runs at an average of 32.5. Shreyas is the more complete and consistent batsman in both the traditional formats. That average in over 150 List A matches says it all, not just in the shorter formats.

Who Is Better in 2026?

The answer depends entirely on the format. Suryakumar Yadav was dropped as India’s T20I captain and Shreyas Iyer was elevated as the T20I captain. Shreyas Iyer seems to be the ideal candidate due to his captaincy record in the IPL and his consistent batting form. He has taken three different franchises to the IPL final in the last six seasons.

In nine matches as T20I captain in the 2026 T20 World Cup, Suryakumar scored 242 runs at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 136.72 as India won the tournament. He won the title as captain but was also dropped after that. Indian cricket is competitive like that at the moment.

In T20 cricket, Suryakumar Yadav is one of the best batsmen in the world in that format. In every other format, Shreyas Iyer is the best batsman by a clear margin. If you need someone to win T20 matches, you should pick Suryakumar.

If you need someone to score innings in all formats, you should pick Shreyas. The real question was never who is better overall. The real question was always which format are you playing.

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