Ravi Shastri, the former head coach of the Indian cricket team, recently revealed that during the ODI World Cup in 2019, he engaged in several meetings with the selectors. In the course of these discussions, he indicated his preference for Virat Kohli to take on the number 4 batting position and fix the void in the middle-order lineup.
As the ODI World Cup 2023 inches closer, the Indian squad is diligently striving to prepare their squad for this renowned tournament. Yet, a recurring topic of conversation within Team India remains the issue around the number 4 batting position. Throughout the years, finding an ideal batsman to fill the position has proven challenging.
Ravi Shastri, the former head coach of the Indian cricket team, recently confirmed his involvement in multiple meetings with selectors for the 2019 ODI World Cup. During these debates, he indicated his preference for Virat Kohli to shoulder the responsibility of the number 4 batting slot, trying to solve the void in the middle-order lineup.
Nonetheless, this notion didn’t sit well with numerous former cricketers who brought attention to the 2007 ODI World Cup and the example of the renowned Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar was positioned in a lower batting position, and his performance dropped as a result. He could only manage seven runs in two matches, both of which ended in India’s defeat.
Sanjay Manjrekar, the former Indian cricketer, was among many who opposed the concept of Kohli batting in the middle of the order. “The more and more you talk about other options like Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli seems to get relegated. He has sort of become the scapegoat in the sense that you bat him at No.4 and all your problems are solved,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on Star Sports.
It is really up to Virat Kohli if he wants to bat at number 4: Tom Moody
Shastri’s viewpoint was shared by former Australian cricketer Tom Moody as well. Moody stated that Kohli batting at number 4 is a straightforward solution, but it concerns Kohli whether he wants to do it or not, in an attempt to explain Tendulkar’s middle-order batting during the 2007 World Cup.
Tom Moody said:
“There is also a cultural issue in Indian cricket. In the 2007 World Cup, the team management of Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell sent Tendulkar at No.4 instead of opening because they had people like Virender Sehwag and others at the top of the order. But that became a huge controversy. So it is really up to Kohli, an iconic player, on whether he wants to bat at No. 4. It seems like a perfectly simple solution, but it concerns Kohli.”
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