"He's got million shots to four deliveries" - Former Indian spinner makes huge claim on Suryakumar Yadav after IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash

Former Indian spinner Murali Kartik believes skipper Suryakumar Yadav should bat at No. 3 in T20Is at all times after the side's resounding six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash at Dubai. Chasing 172 for victory, the Men in Blue got off to a scintillating start with a 105-run opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.

However, despite walking in at No. 3 with India in a comfortable position, Surya failed to open his account in a three-ball stay. The 35-year-old has batted across positions in T20Is over the past year, with Tilak Varma often batting at No.3. In India's previous outing against Oman, Sanju Samson came into bat at one-drop.

Yet, in the post-match show on Cricbuzz, Kartik maintained that Surya must walk in at No. 3 in T20Is.

"He's (Suryakumar Yadav) the X-factor in the team. He's the batter who most bowlers fear. The second thing is he controls the innings there with the way he plays spin. So if India are off to a great start, he won't allow the run rate to come down. And if they are not off to a great start, he'll make sure the run rate is upped. He's got million shots to four deliveries. So when you have a player like that at No. 3, who doesn't allow the spinners to settle down, that's the perfect No. 3 for me," he said (15:30).

Surya boasts an excellent record at No. 3 in T20Is, averaging 34.90 at a strike rate of 162.26 in 26 innings.

"Hardik could have come ahead in the spot Sanju came in" - Murali Kartik

Murali Kartik believes Hardik Pandya should have walked in ahead of Sanju Samson during India's run chase against Pakistan. After a spectacular start, the Men in Blue lost their way slightly to be reduced to 123/3 in 12.2 overs.

With 49 runs required off 46 deliveries, Samson walked in at No. 5 and endured a massive struggle. The wicketkeeper-batter scored a laborious 13 off 17 balls, leaving India with a task of scoring 24 off 20 deliveries to win.

However, the Mumbai Indians (MI) duo of Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma ensured there were no further hiccups, completing the job in the penultimate over.

"A big part of me felt Hardik could have come ahead in the spot Sanju came in. Because Hardik has a lot of calm about him. He doesn't ever panic. And also his track record against Pakistan is pretty good. So I thought maybe in a situation like that, him coming in would have been better as even if there's a dot ball, there is a sense of calm in the way he goes about it. So I thought him ahead of Sanju," said Kartik (via the aforementioned source).

The latest win made it seven consecutive for India over Pakistan across formats, dating back to 2022.