Former head coach Ravi Shastri suggests Virat Kohli to bat at different slot in Asia Cup and World Cup

India's former head coach, Ravi Shastri has revealed his chat with former Indian skipper Virat Kohli to bat at a different position. The two conversed about the topic during the ODI World Cup 2019 in England. Shastri said he wanted to strengthen the middle order with a slight change in the batting maestro’s position.

Meanwhile, Shastri also had the same suggestion for the Men in Blue in India's upcoming Asia Cup 2023 and the ODI World Cup 2023. He suggested keeping Ishan Kishan in the squad as the first-preference wicketkeeper-batter. Also, he insisted to let him play in the top order with some slight changes in the batting positions of skipper Rohit Sharma and former skipper Kohli.

"Ishan Kishan should bat right at the top of the order. Rohit as a captain is vastly experienced. He can go in at three. he can go at four. This is where you have to see the player's frame of find. How will Shubman Gill feel if asked to bat No.3 or No.4 as opposed to batting at the top? No one owns a position. If Virat has to bat at four, he will bat at four for the team," said Shastri to Star Sports.

"There were times when I thought of it even in the previous two World Cups. I might have discussed that with MSK of him batting at four, just to break that top-heavy line-up. If we lost two or three at the top, we were gone. And it was proved so just for breaking that, you need experience," he added.

"You've got to evolve with the game." - Ravi Shastri for Virat Kohli

Later, the former Indian all-rounder also advised that it is very necessary for a player to adapt himself in any kind of game situation, be it a big player or a less-experienced individual.

"You've got to evolve with the game no matter how big a player you are. The same applies to Virat Kohli. There's no question about it. You watch around the world and look at players like Joe Root, Steve Smith for that matter Kane Williamson and Kohli himself at certain stages of his career, they all have had to evolve. There are innovations (happening every now and then). There are players who want to up the ante. There's a different template in place at the moment," Shastri concluded.