India secured their spot in the Asia Cup 2025 final after a 41-run win over Bangladesh in the second Super 4 match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. While the victory added another win to their campaign, it also raised serious concerns about the team’s batting order and captain Suryakumar Yadav’s recent form. Openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma gave India a strong start, adding 72 runs in the powerplay. However, after Gill’s dismissal, captain Suryakumar promoted Shivam Dube to the number three position. The move backfired, as Dube scored only two runs before being dismissed. Sanju Samson was pushed down to number eight, behind Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma, and did not get a chance to bat. Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar spoke at length about India’s batting order issues and Suryakumar’s recent struggles. “Sometimes, when you are looking to give batters some practice, you tend to change your batting order just that little bit. I don’t think there should be too much change. That can affect the team’s rhythm. The batting order also needs rhythm,” Gavaskar said. He addressed the decision to promote Dube: “Occasionally, you can push somebody up, looking at the circumstances. But to push a finisher like Dube at number three was a little difficult. That is one area where India faltered a little bit.”
Gavaskar also criticised Suryakumar’s batting approach. “You yourself, as captain, have not scored runs in the previous game. It is important for the captain to come in and get a few runs. He came at number four and got out looking to play the same shot as in the previous game. That’s a very productive shot for him, but when you are getting out to it, maybe you should not play it until you have really gotten a feel for the surface.” The statistics back up Gavaskar’s concerns. Since taking over as captain, Suryakumar’s batting average has dropped from 43.40 to 26.82, while his strike rate has fallen from 168.17 to 156.2. In 27 matches as captain, he has scored 617 runs in 25 innings, including one century and four fifties. This is a significant decline from his pre-captaincy record of 2040 runs in 58 innings, which included three centuries and 17 fifties. His boundary-hitting has also decreased, with 61 fours and 34 sixes as captain compared to 181 fours and 114 sixes previously. The recent match marks Suryakumar’s tenth single-digit score since the T20 World Cup 2024 in his last 20 games. In 2025, he has the lowest average among Indian batters in T20Is, scoring just 12.43 per innings. India now waits to face either Pakistan or Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2025 final. While the team has impressed with victories, Gavaskar’s critique underscores the need for stability in the batting order and improved performances from their captain heading into the title clash.
