“Will it be right for Tilak Varma to play out of position?” - Former all-rounder questions India’s combination in Asia Cup 2025 clash against UAE

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has questioned the Men in Blue’s team combination following their Asia Cup 2025 match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The game was played on Wednesday, September 10, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Sent in to bat first, UAE had a disappointing outing, being bowled out for just 57 in 13.1 overs. In response, the defending champions went on to win by nine wickets with 93 balls to spare.

After the match, Irfan Pathan shared a video on his YouTube channel, where he praised the performances of India’s openers, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, saying:

“Shubman Gill came in and started attacking very well. Abhishek Sharma hit the first ball, it was an incredible start. You know, he has played consistently, but Shubman Gill’s approach was also tremendous. But one thing is clear: Sanju Samson did not come to open.”

With Gill now opening the innings, Sanju Samson would have to bat lower down the order. The 40-year-old noted that if Samson takes the No. 3 spot, Tilak Varma would likely have to move down as well, and he questioned whether that would be the right move.

“Shubman Gill came to open. This means Sanju Samson will play out of position. And if Sanju Samson doesn’t go below three in the batting order, then Tilak Varma will play out of position. So when these players are under pressure, and the pitch is slow and the ball grips, will it be right for Tilak Varma to play out of the place? That will be a question,” he said.

Tilak Varma has an impressive record for India at No. 3 in T20Is, scoring 443 runs in 13 innings at an average of 55.38 and a strike rate of 169.73, including two fifties and two hundreds.

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“Will he be as capable at number eight” - Irfan Pathan weighs in on India’s middle-order conundrum

In the same video, Irfan Pathan also highlighted that Axar Patel’s batting role in the team might change with Shivam Dube’s inclusion, and questioned whether he would be able to adapt to it. He said:

“Secondly, Axar Patel also used to play the floater role, right? Axar bowled well again today. But when he batted, he used to play the floater role. Now, because you have Shivam Dube, you might say that Shivam Dube is better at playing spin, so maybe he will be sent up the order."

"And if he is not sent up, he will bat lower, probably at number eight. But then, if he comes up, Axar, who used to play the floater role, will bat lower at number eight. Will he be as capable at number eight? That will also be a question," he added.

India will return to action on Sunday, September 14, when they face Pakistan in Dubai.