On Saturday, the Mumbai Indians’ stand-in skipper hinted that he would play at his usual position, stating that they had a flexible batting order. Suryakumar Yadav had given up his No. 3 spot for the youthful Tilak Varma in the national team. India’s T20 captain, Suryakumar, will lead MI in the first game since regular captain Hardik Pandya is serving a one-match suspension for an offense linked to the over-rate from the last tournament.

“So you might see guys being flexible during this season, during this stint with the IPL,” Suryakumar said when asked whether he would once again elevate the flashy Tilak above him in the MI batting setup. Everyone is also adaptable. Tilak can bat at five, and even I can bat at three. Our team’s adaptability is the reason behind this.

He went on to say that Tilak’s dedication inspired him to consider improving his batting position in the national lineup. Having that influence at the top is usually beneficial. I thus believed that it would be better for Team India if he could bat at number three and I could assume responsibility at number four. Because I don’t care about the batting number. He bats in the same manner as me, trying to have an effect wherever possible.