Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has voiced concerns over India’s decision to shuffle the batting order during their Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match against Bangladesh on September 24. The legendary opener felt Suryakumar Yadav should have walked in earlier to rebuild his confidence rather than promoting Shivam Dube to the crucial No. 3 position.
India eventually secured a 41-run win in Dubai to enter the final, but the tactical move didn’t pay off. Both Dube and Suryakumar failed to make an impact, exposing growing worries about the captain’s form with the bat. Gavaskar highlighted that such changes could harm the team’s overall balance and flow.
“I think, sometimes, when you’re looking to give batters some practice, you tend to tweak the batting order a little. But I don’t think there should be too much change, because that can affect the team’s rhythm. Like everything else—batting, bowling—you need rhythm. Similarly, the batting order also needs a rhythm. Occasionally, you can push someone up the order depending on the circumstances, but to send a finisher like Shivam Dube to number three was a bit tricky. Dube is usually a finisher at five or six, and moving him up was particularly difficult because Suryakumar, as captain, hadn’t scored runs in the previous game,” Gavaskar said.
Team Rhythm Disrupted by Frequent Order Changes
The reshuffle didn’t stop there. Hardik Pandya was sent in at No. 4, Tilak Verma followed at six, and Axar Patel was promoted to seven, pushing Sanju Samson further down. The lineup changes seemed to unsettle the batting unit, and a miscommunication between Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar led to a costly run-out.
Gavaskar was candid about how the captain approached his innings:
“It was important for the captain to come in and get a few runs. He came at number four and got out playing the same shot again. That is normally a very productive shot for him, no question about it. But when you’re struggling, maybe you shouldn’t play it until you’ve really got a feel for the surface. Once you’ve settled and scored 25 or 30 runs, then you can play that shot. I think that was probably one area where India faltered a little, though luckily the bowlers saved their skin.”
Suryakumar’s Form a Concern as Final Approaches
While Abhishek Sharma continues to deliver consistent performances with the bat, Suryakumar’s lean patch is becoming more visible. His scores in the tournament so far — 7*, 47, 0, and 5 — have done little to ease the pressure. The added responsibility of leadership also appears to be affecting his performance.
As captain, Suryakumar averages just 26.82 in 27 T20Is, a stark contrast to his 43.40 average when not leading. With the Asia Cup 2025 final around the corner, India will be hoping their skipper can rediscover his rhythm and set the tone with a strong innings when it matters most.
Stay tuned for all the latest Match Predictions, Fantasy Tips, Cricket updates, match highlights, player analysis, and viral moments!