"Till the time he plays, he will open" - Dinesh Karthik's big statement on star Indian batter after IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Final

England v India - 4th Rothesay Test Match: Day Two - Source: Getty
Dinesh Karthik backed one of India's out-of-form batters to come good after the final against Pakistan [Credit: Getty]

Former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes Shubman Gill will continue to open the batting in T20Is despite his sub-par showing in the 2025 Asia Cup. The Men in Blue emerged victorious in a thrilling final against Pakistan, even as Gill scored only a 10-ball 12.

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Returning to the T20I side after a year, the 26-year-old could not continue his incredible form from IPL 2025 and the recent England Test tour. Gill finished with only 127 runs at an average of 21.16 and a strike rate of 151.19 in seven games.

Talking about the Indian vice-captain's lean run, Karthik told Cricbuzz (38:55):

"They'll back Shubman Gill. They'll know he can get it done under pressure as we saw in England. And he's the vice-captain so I don't think they'll let go of him. I would be surprised if he moves around the batting order also. Shubman till the time he plays will open."
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Karthik added:

"He has given impact knocks but not the big runs. He's a gun player. There's no chance that he's going to fail for too long. He's too good and he's the kind of guy who'll get you hundreds actually at a good clip."

Gill's return to the side at the top of the order meant India had to break the successful opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.

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"You can see it was a very calm dugout" - Murali Kartik on India's final win over Pakistan

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Former spinner Murali Kartik hailed Team India for maintaining their composure on the field and in the dugout during the tense run-chase against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final. The Men in Blue were in early trouble at 20/3 in their run-chase of 147 on a sluggish Dubai surface.

Yet, the middle order, led by Tilak Varma's brilliant 69*, ensured the side got home in the final over by five wickets.

"Early on, there were nerves from our own batters. But what stands out in this side is that there are lots of players who are actually cooked well. They are not undercooked. So they've been there and seen this and more importantly, they've been empowered. You can see it was a very calm dugout. What stood out was the dugout," said Kartik (via the aforementioned source).
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He added:

"The likes of Abhishek Sharma and even Suryakumar Yadav, even as the coaching staff were nervous, the players had that belief. 5. That is exactly what you want that you know you can count on somebody even though I've made a mistake. Tilak deserves all the credit but there were other small contributions and that's why India are such a good side. There was great belief amongst one another, which is what you want when you create a side."

India ran through the 2025 Asia Cup, winning all seven games, including three against Pakistan.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
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