Should Suryakumar Yadav bat at No. 3? Irfan Pathan suggests
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has proposed a major change in India's batting order for their crucial ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match against Zimbabwe. He suggested that Suryakumar Yadav should bat at No. 3, instead of the current position held by Tilak Varma. The recommendation comes after India's defeat to South Africa, putting pressure on the defending champions to perform well in their next game.
Performance analysis
India's batting order under scrutiny
India's batting order has come under fire after their loss to South Africa. Abhishek Sharma's performance has been particularly criticized, while Tilak Varma hasn't made a significant impact at No. 3 with just 107 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 118.88. Pathan believes that moving Suryakumar up the order could solve these problems and break the monotony of three consecutive left-handers at the top.
Player statistics
Suryakumar's T20I stats at No. 3
Suryakumar has a strong record batting at No. 3 in T20Is. He has slammed 864 runs in 32 matches with an average of 32 and an impressive strike rate of 158.53. He has one century and six fifties to his name in this regard. Pathan believes that giving him this position could change the course of India's batting performance against Zimbabwe.
Information
Implications of the move
If Suryakumar ascends to No. 3, Tilak's role will be limited to an aggressor. Right now, the latter is being looked upon as the anchor who can hold the fort. However, playing at No. 4, Tilak won't have the freedom to take time.
Team strategy
Pathan advocates for Axar Patel's return against Zimbabwe
Pathan also weighed in on the overall team composition for the match against Zimbabwe. He advocated bringing Axar Patel back into the squad, citing his all-round capabilities that India missed in the previous match against South Africa. While he hinted at possible inclusions like Kuldeep Yadav and Sanju Samson, he stressed not making too many changes ahead of this crucial encounter.