Asia Cup 2025: The Analytics behind India's batting order experimentation

The Asia Cup 2025 has produced several subplots, and each of them narrates a unique but intriguing story. Sports offer a great stage, similar to life, real and unscripted. In a format mainly run by tactics and statistics, each ball is an event, and the best form of data analysis dictates its outcome. Any change, experiment, or shuffle is potentially backed by the right blend of concrete game plans, experiential learnings, and holds a certain meaning. If the results are favourable, desired, and that significance persists frequently, then the purpose gets upheld, lest it solely turns into a discussion in hindsight. T20, international cricket's shortest format, is extremely demanding and subject to intense and perennial evolution. With plenty of data and insights available, it requires a deep understanding of both the current situation and foresight.

Indian cricket has always been fortunate and privileged to be blessed with an abundance of talent. The domestic structure here is immensely organised, equipped with world-class and international standard facilities, and supervised under great coaching. The by-product is players who are supremely skillful and a secure investment for the future. The 20-over game has shifted the way the sport is looked at. The transition implies that squads are now built with an influx of all-rounders, drifting away from the notion of including just pure batters or bowlers. Teams look for players who are multi-dimensional in their skills, and thus including a maximum of them improves the balance of the side. Captaining such units is a dream because the skipper is spoilt for choice in all facets of the game. It imparts flexibility and allows a sustained form of aggression through all departments. 

See Also: Top 5 experts criticize India’s batting order shifts vs Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2025

Despite India being on a winning streak so far, in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, and now gearing up for the final on 28th September, it is their batting order that has been under some form of spotlight. The team has been playing with an astonishing eight proper batters since their premier match of the continental tournament, and except for the openers, no other player has their own fixed position to bat. This situation demands both flexibility and maximum individual efficiency, regardless of the concurrent game status and time of going into the middle. The team combination has permitted them to adopt an all-out aggressive tactic to post as high a total as possible and provide their quality bowlers sufficient runs to defend. Different ground dimensions, variable pitch conditions, opposition bowlers, match-ups, and instincts have also influenced the batting order and, at times, enforced the group to maintain a left-right combination in the middle. 

India have played five matches yet in the continental competition and are slated to play two more. So far, they have not had a pre-decided batting line-up, and the positions are determined largely while the match is on. In some matches, the order has been a tad wayward and has attracted criticism from several former players, leaving them scratching their heads. Against weaker teams or in relatively insignificant games, the senior batters might give their space to those who have not had much exposure preceding that match. During dead rubbers, this might be more prevalent. For example, the described mould was quite apparent against Oman and Pakistan (super fours), with regards to the batting positions of the skipper Suryakumar Yadav and the wicketkeeper Sanju Samson.

Either advantageous or not, it can't be comprehended this soon because the sample size is way too small. However, if it persists until the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, it will become a norm, and the players might get accustomed to it. Any change takes time, and the players adapting to it would fit right into the system. The real test would come against tougher opposition and in a crunch match situation. Until then, however long it sustains, it will be no short of relevance, challenges, and surprises, for sure. Again, it will be either a hit or a miss, and that will be judged based on both individual and team performances. If India keep recording wins, and with the same crop of players, this batting shuffle might lose its sheen and discard itself from the mainstream. 

India's current set of batters in T20Is (As seen in the Asia Cup 2025)

Abhishek Sharma (opener), Shubman Gill (opener), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel.