India, Feb. 20 -- Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif suggested that Hardik Pandya's promotion up the batting order is largely down to the number of left-handers in the current line-up. India field a left-heavy top order, with Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma opening the innings and Tilak Varma slotting in at No. 3. The middle order, too, features three left-handers - Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh and Axar Patel. With so many lefties grouped together, it becomes a challenge for the captain and coach to maintain a smooth right-left combination, and Hardik's elevation helps bring better balance and flexibility.

Kaif weighed in on Hardik's altered batting role, pointing out that the shift to No. 5 is a tactical adjustment driven by India's surp...