Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players'Ask anyone 'where do you want to play?' Everyone will say 'top-3'': Gambhir's blunt remark on Kohli-Suryakumar debate
Gautam Gambhir had a no-nonsense remark when he was asked about the batting positions of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav following their unbeaten 98-run stand in the Asia Cup game against Hong Kong.
Team India cruised to the Super Four stage of the 2022 Asia Cup after the side defeated Hong Kong by 40 runs in its second group game. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team had earlier beaten Pakistan by five wickets on Sunday, and will begin its Super Cup campaign on September 4 against the other qualifier from their group. The side had a slow start to their batting innings but it was Suryakumar Yadav (68* off 24 deliveries) who bailed India out of a rough spot, eventually steering them to a strong score of 192/2 in 20 overs.
Suryakumar, batting at number four, smashed six sixes and as many fours en route to his terrific knock, while Virat Kohli also remained unbeaten on 58 off 44 deliveries to take India to a big total in the game. However, many were of the opinion that given his form, Suryakumar deserves to be promoted up the order. In fact, the official broadcasters also ran a poll during the second innings of the game with many still voting in favour of Kohli retaining the third spot in the order – former India opener Gautam Gambhir, though, didn't agree.
Gambhir believes that the Indian team management must utilize Suryakumar's form, even if it meant sending Kohli at 4.
“It doesn't matter where you want to play. What matters is where the team wants you to play. If you ask anyone where he wants to play, everyone will say top-3. But if someone is in as good form as Suryakumar Yadav, you would want to utilize his form. Virat Kohli can come at 4, Hardik Pandya at 5 and then you can shuffle the battle order,” Gambhir said on Star Sports.
“Suryakumar is a sort of player who can take the pressure off if an opener is dismissed early. I don't really believe in having a template but he can play the explosive game,” he further said.
Kohli had been away from the game over the past month and had skipped the side's limited-overs tours to West Indies and Zimbabwe. He made his comeback against Pakistan last week and scored 35 off 34 deliveries, helping in softening the impact of the early wicket of KL Rahul in the innings. Suryakumar, meanwhile, has been one of the most consistent batters for India in the shortest format; in July earlier this year, he also became the only fifth Indian men's batter to score a T20I century (117 in 55 deliveries against England).
