Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian T20I captain, returned to form with a 24-ball 39* against Australia in the first T20I in Canberra on Wednesday. It could have been a much bigger innings had rain not forced the organisers to call off the match. Former India star Robin Uthappa was asked about Yadav sacrificing his position for the team’s sake on a number of occasions. Uthappa said Yadav should never come to bat below the No. 4 spot.

“It’s like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place because it’s a decision where you need to assess your performances and manage your captaincy as well. So it’s a very difficult decision to make. However, I feel he should bat in one fixed position. In my opinion, there is no better position than No. 3 for Suryakumar in T20 cricket,” Uthappa said on Star Sports.

“If the top three get set, you can bring flexibility after that. You can bring in left-right combinations. In the Asia Cup, they probably decided that Tilak Varma would come at No. 3 if a left-hander got out, and Surya would come in if a right-hander got out. That’s still alright, but Suryakumar Yadav shouldn’t bat below No. 4. A top-order batter has to make a lot of adjustments if he has to bat below No. 4.”

Yadav has 820 runs (strike rate: 159.22) in 29 T20I innings at No. 3, while at No. 4 his figures are 1,614 runs with a strike rate of 167.25. He has batted below No. 4 only six times in T20Is, scoring 140 runs.

“Suryakumar Yadav being in form is very important for India. If he wants to win the World Cup and play for a long time-since he is playing only one format-his form and rhythm are very important. When you’re such an important player, your form matters not just for the team but for yourself as well,” Uthappa added.

“It felt good that he came in at No. 3 today and is batting exceptionally well. If you give him room, he dominates the bowler-and that’s what happened after the first rain break. I don’t think he’s out of form. I believe it’s always a matter of time because this player has so much class.”

India next play Australia in the second T20I in Melbourne on Friday.