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. 

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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. 

🗣️ 'When you change his position, you are obliged to give him a longer rope'@cricketaakash on the Sanju Samson question #TimeOut pic.twitter.com/RcayLjl7C3

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 24, 2025

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. 

Team squad selections and player batting orders have always taken their places in the backdrop of the successes and failures of Indian cricket. Decisions based on instincts, recency biases, and impromptu match situations leave players and fans bewildered and unknowingly disadvantaged. Consequently, their talent and skills remain underutilised, and this inflicts self-doubt on the players themselves. Irrespective of the disturbance caused to the team's balance and its potential effect on the outcome of the game, such calls are difficult and require players to be mentally strong, selfless, and resilient. In a sport like cricket, having a team-first approach is imperative and seems to be the only fix for players who are floated along the line-up for the sake of flexibility. 

In the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, being played in the UAE, India's batting order in their matches played so far has been anything but fixed. Except for the opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, no other batter in the playing eleven is assured of his position. This scenario demands not just flexibility but maximum individual efficiency as well, regardless of the game situation and time of going to bat. The team combination has permitted them to take the field with an astonishing eight proper batters, aiming 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, and match-ups have also influenced the batting order and, at times, enforced the unit to maintain a left-right combination in the middle. 

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The Sanju Samson Conundrum

In the recent couple of years, specifically in 2024 and until early 2025, it seemed that Sanju Samson was being given a long rope as a T20I opener for India, to make that position secure for the Asia Cup 2025 and the subsequent ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in the subcontinent. The elegant Kerala batter, during that phase, did pay back the trust shown in him by producing impressive performances in a couple of bilateral series. Against Bangladesh at home, he was the highest run scorer of the series and capped off his batting prowess by scoring a scintillating ton in Hyderabad. Next, touring South Africa, he smashed a couple of tons and finished the four-match series with an impeccable average of 72. However, when England came to India for a five-match T20I rubber, he had a horrible series, scoring a paltry total of just 51 runs in five innings at a lowly average of 10.20, strike rate of 118, and getting dismissed similarly on all occasions. All these innings, whether high or low, came when opening the batting for India. 

Now, fast forward to the Asia Cup 2025, and the wicket-keeper batter has had to give up his starting position to make way for Shubman Gill as India's new T20I opener, coupling the latter with his domestic teammate and southpaw, Abhishek Sharma. Moreover, Samson has even been unable to consolidate his position in the top order and finds himself late and low. He has been pushed down to bat in the lower middle and thrust to finish the game, subject to overs remaining, with the tailenders. Proceeding in this manner, taking India's potent batting and opposition bowlers' weaknesses into consideration, he hardly gets to face balls, and when he does, they are in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Only against Oman, he was sent at number three and displayed a man-of-the-match performance by scoring 56 runs off 45 balls, smashing three 4s and three 6s. Surprisingly, against Bangladesh in the Super-Fours, Axar Patel was sent ahead of him, leaving everyone flabbergasted and amazed. 

The player who plays for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) admitted being asked to become flexible in batting by the head coach Gautam Gambhir and team management, in his recent interview. His scoring stats at different position numbers will certainly aid in comprehending the utility he brings to the team, and further help in differentiating the value of the returns while playing at his natural or unnatural positions.  

Sanju Samson's Overall T20I Stats

Sanju Samson's T20I Batting Stats (Position-Wise)

It is worth noting and taking into account that since Samson has been made to not open the innings for India, the team hasn't crossed 200 runs as a unit even once. This opposes the previous tallies, when on quite a few instances the double ton landmark was achieved. Sanju was the protagonist of those totals in the majority of the cases and led as an opener. It is clearly visible that the South Indian batter boasts his highest average and run-scoring rate while taking the strike as an opening batter, and his returns dwindle as he is pushed down the pecking order. This implies that the big-hitting player is at his explosive best when sent in first, and the longer such scenarios remain discontinued, as in the contemporary matches, the more injustice will be drawn upon the batter.

Consequently, it would seem like the Indian team management, while undermining Sanju's potential, is wasting his talent by making him bat quite lower in the ranks. The question persists, is likely to get broader and more serious, and must be dealt with sooner for both the player's and the team's cricketing health. Asia Cup 2025 won't throw much of a challenge, and the issue might get swept under the carpet, but moving ahead, particularly for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, it might emerge as a major conundrum. 

India's flamboyant left-handed batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has had a blistering start to his cricketing career, so far. His explosive batting skills are second to none and justify his sheer prodigious talent. Such is the promise associated with him that he is widely seen as the nation's next big thing in cricket. His gaming prowess and flair are an intrinsic characteristic, and those that have fetched him immense returns as an opener, across formats and levels. For India to bat big, it's expected that Jaiswal hits a purple patch at the earliest in his innings and then prolongs himself at the crease. When that strikes, his bat does the talking and the ground turns into mayhem for the bowlers. His ability to convert starts into humongous scores, making him a class apart, illuminating and throwing great light on his rare talent. As an inference, it is imperative that the young Mumbai player has cemented his place for a long time in the Indian setup. 

However, Yashasvi's attacking instinct, lately, has often taken the vicious shape of a double-edged sword. It has been responsible for his impeccable tally of runs and contrarily for his demise as well. When run-scoring gets big, his batting feels timeless. Then, watching him go about his business is one of the most aesthetic sights in sports, and filled heavily with marvellous boundary shots of fours and sixes. Oppositely, on the other hand, when frequent slogging turns into an ugly mode of dismissal, it can look hideous and embarrassing for the batter. It is then recognised as being immature, irresponsible, and ignorant of the game situation. When the match ends in defeat, in hindsight, that innings is extremely scrutinized and frowned upon with conviction. Thoughts arise over that playing shot and its requirement at that crucial juncture. It is then left only to 'ifs and buts', and the potential result otherwise, had it not gone that way. 

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The 23-year-old batter's test career, yet, is only 22 matches young and has witnessed some outstanding highs. From his debut score of 171 runs against the West Indies in the Caribbean, twin double hundreds against England in Vizag and Rajkot, to a sensational match-winning knock of 161 runs against Australia in Perth, Jaiswal has had a fair taste of the tough dynamics of red-ball cricket. He has notably been a part of the major overseas tours to South Africa (2024), Australia (2024-25), and England (2025-present). His returns adorning the prestigious Indian whites, without a single ray of doubt, have been well above average, but at times questionable as well.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's Test Career Numbers So Far

Those who have followed his test batting charts, deeply and studiously, might have observed a very subtle pattern. Curiosity arises over it and demands some serious glaring. As a test series progresses, Yashasvi's scores off his bat, more often than not, get inversely proportional, and this sets up a disproportion. It consequently has given birth to a peculiar tale that confronts him at this stage of his first-class career. Numbers, primarily linked with the average drop, shall aid in comprehending that, and the probable reasons behind such sequence. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal's Scores in a Test Series

There is a marginal drop in the form and subsequent number of runs Jaiswal hits as the series progresses further into the fourth and fifth test match. He has only featured twice completely in a five-match test rubber, once home against England and the other away in Australia. The current Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 between England and India in the UK is the third such instance for him, even where he began sumptuously in the first two games in Leeds and Birmingham respectively, but failed agonizingly in the third at the Lord's. These form-loaded observations have come into the picture courtesy of the consistency in the pattern that the data portrays. After battling out intensively at the initial points, feeling cooked, uncomfortable, and worn out in the latter parts of the series might be one of the major reasons for these dwindling figures. It can, however, become a matter of big concern moving ahead, and if results are deeply impacted through weak foundations from the batters at the top. It, hence, calls for clear evaluations, re-discovery, better and calculative shot selection, and playing the ball on its merit. 

Yashasvi possesses all the ingredients to be termed synonymous with greatness, sailing ahead in cricket. And India would meticulously hope he gets better with time, adding a little dose of safety in his batting approach. This would not only help Indian cricket in moving forward, but also sustain his career, progressively, for years to come. If done right, he will certainly become an ethereal pillar of reliance in history. 

Cricket and its shortest format are not alien to records. As the game evolves with the rise of franchise T20 competitions, the apex body, the ICC (International Cricket Council), awarding international status to every T20 game played between two countries worldwide, and pitches becoming increasingly flatter, have aided the format in several ways. There has been a massive surge in scoring rates, with 200-plus totals increasingly becoming just about par and the new norm. At the heart of things are batters who, at their prolific best, possess the calibre and power to uptick run-scoring, on their way to smash personal hundreds. They deal in high strike rates, profound shot-making, and percentage cricket. Their value for shots fetches them maximum rewards, even though it is risky most of the time. 

With multiple lucrative franchise-level leagues operating throughout the year, across all the cricketing nations, and beyond, players have great opportunities to gain exposure and improve their skills. Playing with foreign stars builds a social community at the expense of the international game. With the rise of such tournaments and the subsequent decline in international cricket, players have become globetrotters and ply their trade professionally with the former. These leagues, running both domestically and internationally, offer immediate monetary benefits and are tempting for players and fans alike. With drop-in pitches being used mainly for such purposes, batters have found run-scoring easy and have thus been enabled to produce scintillating knocks of greater value, both in quantity and quality. Smashing a hundred, unlike past, seems a cakewalk. Small ground boundary dimensions and the usage of modern bats have only complemented that. Let's nosedive into the charts and explore the statistics of batters currently leading the way with the most T20 hundreds. This accounts for tons in age-group cricket, national side, franchise teams, etc. 

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Players with the most T20 hundreds 💯🔥

Glenn Maxwell equals Klinger, Warner, Finch, Butter, and Rohit 🤝 pic.twitter.com/LBRNwiWfL2

— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) June 18, 2025

Christopher Henry Gayle, also nicknamed 'The Universe Boss', is miles ahead of every other batter in the table. The now-retired Caribbean legend boasts an astonishing 22 T20 hundreds. These include tons for his national side, the West Indies, and all the numerous franchises he has played for. Some of the notable ones are the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL), and the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Gayle, recognised as the best batter in T20 cricket history, was known for his effortless six-hitting, the ability to stand tall and produce humongous innings called 'Daddy Hundreds'. Babar Azam, Pakistan's run machine, is second on the list with 11 hundreds. Known as one of the most consistent batters around the world, Babar has played for quite a few domestic teams in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). 

Rilee Rossouw and Virat Kohli are next, tied on nine tons each. The former, a South African player, was once a mainstay in the middle order of the national unit and has played for reputed teams like the RCB, Somerset in England, and the Eagles in his home nation. Kohli has the most IPL hundreds (8) of any player, and once scored four of them, for the RCB, in a single season in 2016. Glenn Maxwell, currently playing in the Major League Cricket (MLC) for the Washington Freedom, has moved up the ranks after scoring 106 runs off 49 balls, including 13 sixes, in a winning cause. He is also the joint record holder for the most hundreds in T20 internationals, along with India's Rohit Sharma.

The table also includes the likes of star T20 players in David Warner, Aaron Finch, and Jos Buttler. Their names are enough to strike fear among opposition bowlers. Their T20 batting prowess is a cut above the rest, and therefore, they have been able to make names for themselves across households. A unique inclusion in the list is the veteran, Michael Klinger. The batter was a stalwart in Western Australia, and his batting single-handedly led the Perth Scorchers to glory in the BBL on several instances. 

KL Rahul, the skipper of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has received the much-awaited green light for the upcoming 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This news comes as a relief for both the franchise and fans alike.

KL Rahul’s Fitness Clearance

After suffering a quadriceps strain during the first Test against England in Hyderabad, KL Rahul faced uncertainties regarding his participation in the IPL. However, following rehabilitation and assessment at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, Rahul has been declared fit to play.

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Impact on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

The clearance of KL Rahul holds significant implications for LSG. As the captain and a key batsman, his presence adds stability and leadership to the team’s lineup. With his return, LSG’s chances in the tournament will likely be boosted.

Wicket-Keeping Duties

While KL Rahul has been deemed fit to bat, the BCCI’s medical team has advised against him taking on wicket-keeping duties immediately. This cautious approach ensures Rahul’s full recovery and prevents potential setbacks. It is understood that even the franchise isn’t losing its sleep over Rahul’s keeping as they have two quality short-format glovesmen in former Proteas star Quinton de Kock and West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran, who is also vice-captain for this season.

According to an Indian cricket board source, “He is fit and might join the IPL franchise in the next few days. He had pain in his quadriceps and also had an injection. He underwent rehabilitation and has now been declared fit. However, he was advised not to step into a wicket-keeping role.” As quoted by Indian Express.

Insights from BCCI

According to sources within the Indian board, KL Rahul’s fitness progress was closely monitored, and expert advice was sought to ensure his well-being. While the initial diagnosis suggested he was at 90% match fitness, further consultations abroad finalized his clearance.

Lucknow Super Giants seem well-prepared to accommodate Rahul’s absence from wicket-keeping duties. The franchise boasts sufficient depth in that department, with seasoned wicket-keepers like Quinton de Kock and Nicholas Pooran in their ranks.