How Gautam Gambhir Pulled Off A Babar Azam On SKY In Wankhede's Game Of Chess

How Gambhir pulled off a Babar Azam on Suryakumar Yadav [Source: AFP]

When Ishan was dismissed by the England side in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup, everyone expected Suryakumar Yadav to walk in and take down the English attack. However, in a surprising move by the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, Shivam Dube was promoted at number 4, and it certainly raised some eyebrows.

Suryakumar Yadav is India’s designated number 4, but India held him back and did a Babar Azam against the Indian skipper. In the Pakistan vs Namibia match, Babar Azam, Pakistan’s number 4, was held back as Khawaja Nafay was promoted above him, and even Shadab Khan was put ahead of him in the pecking order.

Explaining Gambhir's tactical decision to promote Dube over SKY

The move worked as Pakistan posted a commanding total, and perhaps, India has a similar plan in their minds. Shivam Dube is a better spin-hitter than Suryakumar, and he was pushed ahead in the pecking order due to his ability to take down spin with utmost ease.

Who are England’s two main spinners? They are Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid. One is a traditional leg-break bowler, and the other one is a left-arm orthodox spinner. Interestingly, SKY has a stellar record against such types of bowlers, but he still lags miles behind Dube.

(Dube vs SKY against spinners in 2026)

• As stats reveal, there is a reason why Gambhir played a masterstroke by promoting Dube over SKY at number 4 against England. In 2026, SKY scored 143 runs against the right-arm legbreak bowler and left-arm orthodox spinners, with a strike rate of 141, which is not bad by any means, but it falls behind his lofty standards.
• He has also been dismissed thrice by the spinners this year, and it showcases slight vulnerability in his brilliant skill sets.
• However, this is where Dube thrives. Before the England match, Dube had slammed 88 runs in just 33 balls against the spinners, without getting dismissed. Moreover, his strike-rate was a staggering 266.7, showcasing what he can do against such types of bowlers.
• This year, Dube has looked confident against the spinners, and the data reveals how he has dominated SKY in every department.

Also Read: MS Dhoni's 72-Match Record Under Threat As Suryakumar Yadav Reaches Major Landmark

The advantage Dube has over Suryakumar against spinners (leg-break, and left-arm orthodox)

In simple cricketing terms, Dube was promoted to counter the threat of Liam Dawson and Rashid. For a left-handed batter (Dube), the stock deliveries from both Rashid and Dawson comes back into his hitting-arc, and it makes his job easier.

The ball pitches and drifts back in, making it easier for Dube to swing his bat and clear the fence with ease- means he is hitting the ball with the turn.

Now, that is not the case for a righty batter (Suryakumar). For him, the stock balls from a left-arm orthodox, and a right-arm leg break bowler will drift away, and it means SKY has to play against the spin, and generate extra power to clear the fence.

Conclusion

Even though Suryakumar has done well against the types of bowlers mentioned in the piece, he still falls short of the excellence shown by Dube. This year, the Indian skipper has struck at 141 against the spinners, while Dube has played them for fun.

In 2026, Suryakumar found it hard to tackle quality spinners, and with England possessing Dawson and Rashid, the management decided to play a trick by pushing Dube over SKY, and doing a cheeky Babar Azam against the Indian captain.

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