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When Kohli blocked no. 3  and Gambhir backed Suryakumar, but position still out of reach

Aakash Saini

Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav [Source: AFP, @BCCI/x]Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav [Source: AFP, @BCCI/x]

Indian cricket fans seem to be sensing a hint of animosity between head coach Gautam Gambhir and several senior members of the national team. Interestingly, this feeling can be traced back to long before Gambhir’s appointment as India’s head coach, owing to his repeated social media or on-air jibes towards the likes of MS Dhoni and, occasionally, Virat Kohli.

Even back in late-2022, Gautam Gambhir took a sly dig at Kohli by advocating for then in-form batter Suryakumar Yadav to bat at number three in T20Is for Team India during the 2022 T20 Asia Cup in the UAE.

The number 3 puzzle: A dig at Virat Kohli or Suryakumar not worthy anymore?

Back during the 2022 Asia Cup, i.e., during Suryakumar Yadav’s second year in international cricket for Team India, Gautam Gambhir had backed the explosive middle-order batter to bat at number three in T20I cricket at an expense of an experienced Virat Kohli.

While speaking with the official broadcasters of the tournament, Gautam Gambhir urged the Indian team management to make Suryakumar Yadav bat at number three in a bid to give him as many deliveries as possible. He said:

“I say that Surya needs to bat at three. I think it is very very important. I think we need to do something differently. Use his form. Don't push him down the order. Don't push him at No.4. Give him more deliveries to play. He's going to win you more games by batting at No.3 compared to batting No.4 or No.5. Hopefully, the team management will listen. Virat has done reasonably well in the last game and the first game as well. But sometimes you have to look at the form and the quality at the moment.”

Since the slot was occupied by Virat Kohli at the time, the legendary Indian batter started opening the innings towards the fag end of his career before eventually confirming his retirement at the end of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

With number three slot now available, and Suryakumar Yadav now helming the Indian team as captain, the blistering middle-order batter rarely gets to bat at the reclusive position. Even during India’s recent big defeat against South Africa in Mullanpur, Suryakumar batted at number four and managed to score just five as his dreadful run in T20Is this year continues to haunt him.

Moreover, Suryakumar Yadav has spent a majority of his T20I career as a number four batter for Team India, a position that does not seem to be fetching him the same volume of runs as he once did, in spite of his prolific overall batting average of nearly 40 at four.

With the number three seat mostly remaining untouched even in the post-Virat Kohli era, fans cannot help but wonder whether Gambhir’s old argument was ever really about Suryakumar Yadav or merely a dig at the legendary Indian batter.