South Zone captain Tilak Varma has confirmed that Devdutt Padikkal will bat at No. 3 when his team faces East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final on Sunday, September 6. Shaik Rasheed is expected to make way after managing scores of 0 and 1 in the semifinal against North Zone. Padikkal has made the […]

Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh has strongly criticised Team India’s handling of KL Rahul during the recently concluded ODI series against England, arguing that the management has failed to make the best use of one of the country’s most versatile batters. Following India’s 2-1 series defeat, Ganesh questioned the decision to push Rahul down the […]

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said he was surprised to see Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant bat at No. 3 in IPL 2026, but was pleased with the way he handled the chase and stayed through the innings to take his side over the line in a crucial contest. Ashwin felt Pant showed the […]

Fitness concerns have slightly altered MS Dhoni’s role in the Indian Premier League, with the veteran often batting lower down the order for Chennai Super Kings. The legendary finisher, who once dominated bowling attacks with effortless six-hitting, has recently been coming in at No. 8 or even No. 9. While Dhoni has still delivered a […]

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif believes that while Suryakumar Yadav’s numbers may suggest one batting position, India should remain flexible with his role depending on how the innings unfolds. Kaif feels that although Suryakumar has traditionally been more comfortable at No. 4, there are situations where promoting him to No. 3 could significantly benefit the […]

KL Rahul has always been known as one of India’s most technically sound batters, but over the past few years, his evolution into a reliable middle-order finisher has added a new dimension to his game. Once a permanent opener, Rahul has now embraced the challenges of batting at No.5 and No.6, a shift he believes […]

India captain Suryakumar Yadav has thrown his full support behind Shubman Gill’s return to the T20I setup, insisting that the young opener “deserved” the opportunity to reclaim his spot at the top of the order. Addressing the media on the eve of the first T20I against South Africa in Cuttack, Suryakumar clarified that Sanju Samson […]

India’s versatile all-rounder Washington Sundar has once again shown why he is one of the most adaptable players in the Test setup, shrugging off all chatter about his constantly shifting batting roles. At just 25, Sundar has already experienced more transitions in the batting order than many seniors do in an entire series—but his calm, […]

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has suggested that Travis Head could be promoted to No.3 in the batting order for the upcoming Ashes 2025 series at home, citing the batter’s counter-attacking style as a potential weapon to unsettle England’s pace attack. Australia are aiming to retain the Ashes while continuing their ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 […]

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested that Sanju Samson should be a strong contender for the wicketkeeper-batter slot in India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, Chopra also highlighted Samson’s challenges when batting in the middle order, a role he might be required to play in the tournament. In recent T20Is, Samson […]