India's recent results on paper T20 cricket have been commendable. They are Asia Cup 2025 champions, won a series in Australia, and a solid 3-1 victory at home against South Africa shows a team full of swagger and confidence. With the T20 World Cup 2026 starting in February, India seems primed to make a challenge for the title. But one big issue remains unresolved, the No. 3 batting slot. With explosive openers, dependable all-rounders, and a world-class bowling attack, India still manages to be aggravated at 1-down. After the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli post the T20 World Cup 2024, the slot has been a huge void in the batting order. India’s No. 3 Confusion After Virat Kohli's Retirement The slot has been a headache since the exit of Virat Kohli, though many have worn that number after his retirement. Ruturaj Gaikwad lived for a brief while; next in line came Abhishek Sharma, who also could not live up to the expectations. Although Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dube kept succumbing to back-to-back tryouts, none were able to claim that place into their names for good. The Asia Cup 2025 was still a ground of experimenting, with Samson making a fifty against Oman and Dube failing to the spinners of Bangladesh. The level of confusion went to another height in South Africa, when Axar Patel was sent to bat at No. 3, which raised quite a few eyebrows up and around, particularly in a steep chase against the home side. India remains in that wee situation, wherein batting orders are still supremely unstable due to excessive changes. Also Read | If Suryakumar Yadav Is Snubbed, Who Should Lead India at the 2026 T20 World Cup? Suryakumar Yadav’s Best Position Isn’t No. 3 Suryakumar Yadav is still one of the most destructive Indian T20 hitters, but stats show that No. 3 is not the ideal place for him. Ever since the last T20 World Cup, he has amassed 377 runs in 17 innings at No. 3. Even though the strike rate is high, the number of runs has declined, with the last fifty plus score recorded back in October 2024. In contrast, Surya's numbers skyrocket as he moves down to No. 4. Three hundreds, 13 fifties, and the strike rate are way elevated. Further, Surya himself has admitted that he has not been in great form lately, making it all the more imperative to give him the environment he wants most to succeed. Why Tilak Varma is the Right Choice at No. 3 Tilak Varma's case is far more convincing. In the last two years, he has scored 422 runs from just seven innings batting at No. 3, with two hundreds and two fifties. His strike rate of 168.80 is also the best among Indian batters who have batted at that position after 2024. Overall, Varma has accumulated 542 runs at No.3 from 15 innings, with a strike rate of 161. His numbers drop considerably when he bats lower, which shows that one down is his natural position. Varma remains cool under pressure, is hard against spin, and can play long innings; he possesses precisely what India needs at No.3. Final Call Before T20 World Cup 2026 India now has a chance to settle this once and for all with the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from January 21 in Nagpur. Fixing Tilak Varma at No. 3 would solve that problem, and allowing Suryakumar Yadav to bat at No.4 would ensure some balance and clarity throughout the rest of the batting order. If India is to go deep into the T20 World Cup 2026 and lift the trophy, resolving the No. 3 conundrum must be high up on the priority list.