“He should bat at No.4 because he has an organised technique” - Mohammad Kaif ahead of IND vs SA ODI series

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has suggested that the in-form batter Dhruv Jurel should be slotted at No.4 in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, which is scheduled to start on Sunday, November 30, in Ranchi.

Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, Kaif asserted that Jurel has an organised technique and can replicate Shreyas Iyer’s aggressive approach at the No.4 batting position. Notably, Iyer has been ruled out of the cricketing action due to his recent spleen injury. 

"Dhruv Jurel should bat at number four because he has an organised technique. He can stabilise the innings if wickets fall early. He can mould his game according to the situation. Jurel also has the potential to finish the game well,” Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel. 

“A batter like Shreyas Iyer is needed at number four. Iyer helped Virat Kohli quite a bit, especially in the 2023 World Cup. Kohli used to play his natural game, taking singles and doubles along with the odd boundary. Iyer used to dominate in the middle overs due to which India were in an advantageous position most of the time. I think Jurel has to take an approach similar to Iyer,” he added.

Furthermore, Kaif emphasised that he doesn’t see Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma getting chances in the first ODI of the three-match series. While Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to open the innings, Virat Kohli will take up the No. 3 role and KL Rahul is expected to be slotted at his usual No.5 role.

"I don’t see Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad getting an opportunity in the first game. KL Rahul will play at five. Then there is Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja. So, there is batting till No.8. Spin department is complete – Sundar, Jadeja, Kuldeep. But if Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana make it to the eleven, who is the third seamer? I don’t consider Reddy as the third seamer, he can be the fourth. Reddy can bowl 3-5 overs but the first-change bowler is equally important. So, Hardik Pandya is that missing link," he concluded.

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