Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has raised concerns over India’s decision to alter their batting order in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh on September 24. The legendary opener questioned whether skipper Suryakumar Yadav should have come in earlier to stabilise the innings, particularly after his first-ball duck against Pakistan, instead of sending Shivam Dube to bat at number three.
India went on to secure a 41-run victory over Bangladesh in Dubai, maintaining their unbeaten streak and booking a place in the Asia Cup final. However, the reshuffled batting order caused early setbacks. Both Dube and Suryakumar were dismissed cheaply, exposing vulnerabilities in the middle order and raising questions about the captain’s form at the crease.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar emphasised that while experimentation is sometimes necessary, consistency in the batting lineup is critical.
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“Sometimes, when you’re looking to give batters some practice, you tweak the order a little. But there shouldn’t be too many changes because it can disrupt the team’s rhythm. Batting, like bowling, requires rhythm. Pushing a finisher like Dube to number three was tricky, especially since Suryakumar hadn’t scored runs in the previous game,” he said.
The restructured order also saw Hardik Pandya at four, Tilak Verma at six, and Axar Patel promoted to seven, while Sanju Samson was pushed further down. The adjustments backfired in part, as a run-out mix-up between Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar proved costly.
Sunil Gavaskar added, “It was important for the captain to come in and get some runs. He came at number four and got out playing the same shot again. Normally, that’s a productive shot for him, but when struggling, perhaps it’s better to settle first before playing it.”
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While Abhishek Sharma has carried the top order with consecutive fifties, Suryakumar’s scores—7*, 47, 0, and 5—have stood out for all the wrong reasons, compounding concerns following a lean T20I series against England earlier this year. The added pressure of captaincy appears to have affected him, as he averages just 26.82 in 27 T20Is as skipper, compared to 43.40 when not leading.
With the Asia Cup final looming, India will hope Suryakumar can regain his form and lead by example, providing stability in the middle order while inspiring the team to challenge for the title in a high-pressure encounter.
