Team India
'Virat Kohli is perfect for No. 4 for India': AB de Villiers
Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers has suggested Virat Kohli could be the answer to India’s No.4 conundrum at the World Cup.
Speaking on his Youtube channel 'AB de Villiers 360’, Kohli’s former IPL teammate said, "We're still talking about who will be the No. 4 batter for India. I've heard some rumours about Virat (Kohli) possibly taking up that position. I would be a big supporter of that."
He added, "I think Virat is perfect for No. 4. He can put the innings together, play any kind of role in that middle order. I don't know if he would like to do that.
"We know he loves his No. 3 position; he's scored all his runs there, but at the end of the day, if the team needs you to do something, play a certain role, you have got to put your hand up and go for it."
With Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul only recently returning to the squad after their long-term injuries, India's middle order has been a topic of discussion ahead of the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
Captain Rohit Sharma stressed on the importance of flexibility in the batting order when India announced their Asia Cup squad and conveyed that players should be ready to bat at any position.
Iyer, who returns from his back surgery, is currently the most likely to fill that No.4 position but Kohli has previously found great success in that role.
Batting at No.4, Kohli has managed to score seven centuries and has an impressive average of 55.21 alongside an equally impressive strike rate of 90.66. On the flip side though, he has not batted in that position since January 2020 when he played against Australia in Mumbai.
Although the middle order could retain stability with Iyer looking good in India's Asia Cup training camp in Alur, KL Rahul’s fitness is still a worry and he could miss at least two games in the Asia Cup which starts August 30.
Rohit Sharma's recent take on No. 4
Speaking to the reporters, Rohit has recently said, "You got guys who can bat at number four (laughs). It is not about number four, but about the top three, then from there onwards. It is not just one position that can win us a game and a tournament.
"It is about the batting unit coming together as a batting unit and getting the job done."
He added, "There have been challenges. Guys have been put under pressure. We have had some injuries, we had to try and see other players in that position. We had to rotate them.
"Some players missed out due to workload management. We had to try what combination suited us. We tried Axar at number four, a left-hander at number four and allowed him to play with freedom. Once we get into the World Cup, we want to rest assured that this is what we want to do."
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