“Let Rinku have a game” - Former India cricketer blasts Suryakumar Yadav for slotting himself at No. 11 in IND vs OMA Asia Cup 2025 game

Former India cricketer Rohan Gavaskar has criticized Men in Blue skipper Suryakumar Yadav for slotting himself at No. 11 in the Asia Cup 2025 game against Oman. The match is being played on Friday, September 19, in Abu Dhabi.

Opting to bat first, India finished with 188/8 in 20 overs, with Sanju Samson top-scoring with 56 off 45 balls, while Suryakumar did not come out to bat, giving the opportunity to others.

Reacting to Suryakumar’s decision on Cricbuzz, Rohan Gavaskar slammed the 35-year-old, questioning why he played when he knew he would not bat and suggesting that he should have given someone like Rinku Singh a chance. He said:

“What doesn’t register with me is, if Suryakumar Yadav isn’t going to bat clearly because he’s sent Arshdeep, Harshit, and Kuldeep all ahead of him, then he might as well take a rest. Give Rinku a go. You’re not going to bat, you’re not going to contribute with the ball. If that’s the whole thought process, then let Rinku have a game because it’s clear that you don’t want to bat.”

“If you’re coming behind Arshdeep, Harshit, and Kuldeep, then take a rest, take a break, and that’s absolutely fine. You’ve given Jasprit Bumrah a break, you’ve given Varun a break, and no one would have said anything if you’ve taken a break, fine. You know it’s Oman, and with all due respect, you feel that India’s bench strength should have the goods to beat them. Take a break,” he added.

In the first two games against UAE and Pakistan, Suryakumar registered unbeaten scores of 7 and 47, respectively.

---

“You don’t need to test him” - Rohan Gavaskar slams India for sending Harshit Rana at No. 8

In the same conversation, Rohan Gavaskar added that India should have sent Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, since both pacers are unlikely to feature in the Super 4s. He remarked:

“Even with Harshit, we were talking about this. Harshit is not going to be playing in the coming matches because you’ll get Varun and Jasprit back. So he’s not going to be there; you don’t need to test him to see what he can do in case there’s a collapse or if you need your number 8 and 9 to bat. He won’t be in the XI. Nor is Arshdeep.”

“If anything, Arshdeep will be ahead of Harshit, so you’re not really going to rely on them. If you had to send someone, you would have to send Kuldeep to see what he can do, because Kuldeep will be playing in the Super Fours and going forward,” he added.

Meanwhile, the outcome of Oman’s game won’t affect either team, as Men in Blue have qualified for the Super 4s while their opponents have been eliminated.