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Ravi Shastri & Virat Kohli (Source: Twitter)
India had a heartbreaking exit in the 2019 ODI World Cup after their semi-final defeat against New Zealand. One of the major concerns of Team India during the tournament was the number four position that raised the Ambati Rayudu - Vijay Shankar '3D controversy'. With Rayudu's surprise omission, stability in the middle order was reduced and then head coach Ravi Shastri has now revealed that he wanted Virat Kohli to bat at No. 4 to give balance to the side.
While Kohli bats at number four in Tests, he has been the holder of the No. 3 spot in ODI cricket for many years. However, the ace batter also has an impressive record while batting at No. 4 in the 50-over format, proving he is flexible in any position depending on the team's need. Notably, the 34-year-old came in at four in the 2011 World Cup, which India won after defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
Kohli at No. 4 just to break that top-heavy line up: Ravi Shastri
The right-hander has played a total of 39 matches while batting at number four and has scored 1767 runs, including seven centuries and eight fifties, at a staggering average of 55.21. Citing Kohli's good record at number four, former India coach Shastri said he wanted the top four to be flexible and Kohli to bat at No. 4 for the team's cause.
"If Virat has to bat at four, he will bat at four in the interest of the side. You know, there were times I thought of it. Even in the previous two World Cups, when I was coach in 2019, I thought I might have discussed that with MSK as well of him batting at four just to break that top heavy line up," Shastri said during a chat on Star Sports' Selection Day show.
"You know, because if we lost two or three at the top, we were gone and it was proved so just for reaching that the experience. And if you look at Virat Kohli's record, he is good enough at number four," the former India cricketer added.
His comments come as the Men in Blue struggle to fix their fourth spot ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, which begins on October 5. With injuries to key players like Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, India have been trying different players at the position but none have been able to impress the selectors.