The legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has advised Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 finals to be played on September 28 at Dubai.
He said that Suryakumar Yadav to take a few deliveries in the middle to assess the pitch conditions before playing his natural game in the finals against Pakistan.
In the ongoing edition of the tournament, the 35-year old Suryakumar Yadav has scored 71 runs in five innings at an average of 23.66 and a strike rate of 107.57 with scores of 7*, 47*, 0, 5, and 12.
His performance in Asia Cup is different from his IPL 2025 form, where he scored 717 runs at an average of 65.18 and a strike rate of 167.91.
Sunil Gavaskar stressed the importance of adapting to conditions for India’s title hopes.
“He’s undoubtedly a class player. All I would suggest is that he give himself three or four deliveries in the middle to assess the conditions—check for pace, bounce, or turn. Watching from the dugout and stepping onto the field can feel very different,” said Sunil Gavaskar.
“Sometimes, if a batter is ahead, it might seem like there’s nothing in the pitch, but it’s always better to take a few balls to gauge the conditions before playing your natural game,” Gavaskar added.
Gavaskar said that the game against Sri Lanka could benefit India ahead of the finals, gives time for the side to maintain composure and identifying their slogs.
“Facing a tough day before the final can actually be beneficial. It wasn’t a bad day; rather, it was a hard day at the office. The team managed to come through by maintaining their composure in the last few overs while defending the total.”
“The final over could have been slightly better if Harshit had bowled more slower deliveries instead of the pacey ones. Nonetheless, the way the team bounced back, despite the strong performances from Kusal Perera and Nissanka, speaks volumes about their resilience and temperament,” Gavaskar added.
After remaining unbeaten in group and Super 4s stages, India will aim to defend their Asia Cup title when they face Pakistan on September 28 at the Dubai International Stadium.
