3 things India need to do right vs Pakistan in Match 6 of Asia Cup 2025 ft. Sanju Samson's batting position

Interestingly, India have lost two of their last five T20I matches against Pakistan. The Men in Blue have been one of the most consistent sides in the last few years in the shortest format, while their arch-rivals have been struggling to find the right personnel and tempo.

Nevertheless, India vs Pakistan clashes have been so competitive both on and off the field that a level playing field has been created. As things currently stand, the two sides are in the top two spots of Group A with healthy net run rates and are all set to compete for the summit at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 14.

India have been the team to watch out for, but they haven't always got things right from a tactical perspective under Gautam Gambhir. Suryakumar Yadav and company will need to be at their absolute best in what is a high-profile game like no other.

India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.

On that note, here are three things India need to do right in Match 6 of the 2025 Asia Cup against Pakistan.

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#3 India should use Varun Chakaravarthy in the powerplay if needed

India v England - 5th T20I - Source: Getty

Varun Chakaravarthy bowled just two overs against the United Arab Emirates as his spin partner grabbed the headlines with a sensational four-wicket haul. Against Pakistan, though, the ace spinner could have a bigger role to play.

An important aspect of India's strategy could be to use Varun in the powerplay. The trio of Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman are the most important cogs in Pakistan's wheel, and dismissing them cheaply could essentially seal the game for the Men in Blue.

Moreover, Kuldeep Yadav's emergence has allowed Varun a bit more flexibility with his role. The left-arm wrist-spinner can be trusted to lead the way in the middle overs, allowing Suryakumar to use the Tamil Nadu man with more freedom and attacking intent.

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#2 Suryakumar Yadav and Co. should consider fielding Arshdeep Singh

India v England - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

Speaking of the powerplay, India must seriously consider bringing in Arshdeep Singh for Shivam Dube despite the latter's three-wicket haul in the previous game. The left-arm seamer has done well against Pakistan in the past, and having a more well-rounded pace attack could allow the Men in Blue to play a balanced form of cricket.

Dube is a useful operator, but he might not be too effective against Pakistan, who are playing a different brand of cricket under Mike Hesson. His batting position is also unclear, with India having plenty of candidates to bat in the top five and take on both pace and spin.

It would be harsh on Dube, but horses for courses is the ideal strategy most of the time. And Arshdeep is arguably the right horse for the course.

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#1 Sanju Samson's batting position can't be too low

India v England - 4th T20I - Source: Getty

India sprung a surprise at the start of the UAE encounter as they persisted with Sanju Samson - who wasn't too involved in the team's training sessions ahead of the clash - ahead of Jitesh Sharma. However, the keeper-batter didn't bat in the top three.

It's safe to assume that India currently view Samson as a middle-order option. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar have rounded off the top four in recent times, with Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya being better against spin than pace. Samson might even be viewed as someone who can smash pace in the lower-middle order.

However, that won't be fair to Samson, who was promised a sustained run in the top order. Moreover, for the role India seem likely to thrust him in, Jitesh might be the better option.

As a result of that, fielding Samson at No. 3 and pushing Tilak down to No. 5 might be India's best bet given their current combination. The Kerala man is one of the world's most dangerous T20 batters and needs to be given time to make the impact he can.

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Edited by Sai Krishna