Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has urged the Indian team management to rethink their batting combination ahead of the fourth T20I against England, suggesting that Sanju Samson should return to the playing XI in place of Shivam Dube. Patel believes India’s heavy dependence on left-handed batters has made the batting lineup predictable and easier for England to exploit throughout the ongoing series.

India trail 2-0 in the five-match series after suffering a crushing 125-run defeat at Trent Bridge. The batting collapse in Nottingham once again exposed the imbalance in the lineup, with six left-handed batters featuring in the top eight after Harshit Rana was promoted to No. 7. Patel said he had raised concerns about this issue from the very first match of the series.

Speaking on JioHotstar, the former India wicketkeeper explained that a more balanced batting order is essential if the visitors hope to keep the series alive.

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“I feel he should be played because we have been saying from the first match that you cannot have six left-handers in the top seven, or even the top eight, because Harshit Rana came in at No. 7,” Parthiv Patel said.

While discussing possible changes, Patel admitted that vice-captain Tilak Varma’s leadership role makes him a guaranteed selection despite his recent struggles. Instead, he recommended replacing Shivam Dube with Sanju Samson, even if it means sacrificing the sixth bowling option.

“If I were part of the dressing room and had to pick the team, I wouldn’t look at dropping Tilak Varma because he is India’s vice-captain. I would bring Sanju Samson in for Shivam Dube. You lose the sixth bowling option, but you still have five specialist bowlers,” Parthiv Patel explained.

The former stumper also proposed reshuffling India’s batting order to maximise flexibility. He suggested that Samson could slot in anywhere between No. 3 and the middle order, allowing Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer to adjust accordingly.

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“Sanju Samson can bat in the middle order or even at No. 3. Then Ishan Kishan can move to the middle, while Shreyas Iyer bats at No. 5. India should seriously consider that combination,” Parthiv Patel added.

India now face a must-win situation heading into the fourth T20I at the County Ground in Bristol on Thursday. Another defeat will hand England the series, making team selection and batting balance crucial as Shreyas Iyer’s side looks to stage a comeback.