Legendary Sunil Gavaskar slammed Mumbai Indians’ batting order in the ongoing IPL 2025. Gavaskar questioned Mahela Jayawardene-led think tank to not bat Tilak Varma at number three.

The left-hander did a fantastic job for India while batting at one down, scoring his runs at an average of 55.37 and a blistering strike rate of almost 170 in 13 T20Is.

Varma has scored two back-to-back fifties in the ongoing IPL 2025 after he was subbed out when he was struggling to get going against LSG. The southpaw scored a crucial knock of 59 runs off just 33 balls against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Sunday to help his team post 205 runs on the board.

Gavaskar wrote for Mid-Day, “Mumbai team’s reluctance to send Tilak Varma at No. 3 despite his stellar record for India at that number is baffling indeed. However good an overseas batter may be, it is not easy for him to immediately come to terms with the Indian pitches, which is all the more reason for an Indian who has thrived at that number should be sent there and not dropped down the order.”

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians is no stranger to slow starts in the IPL but they have bounced back in style on many occasions in the tournament. However, Gavaskar reckons making a comeback after a poor start is not the same for the five-time champions.

“There was a time when Mumbai fans weren’t too worried if their team started slowly because they knew that they would come back strongly in the second half. However, the last couple of years have shown that the bounceability is no longer the same. T20 cricket demands quick thinking and super fast decision making and that is yet to be seen from both Chennai and Mumbai,” wrote Gavaskar.

MI registered a much-needed 12-run win against DC on Sunday.