Reason behind India’s success at World Cup 2023 might not be what you think

Imagine being in a KBC-style game show, and being stuck on a question, ‘What has been the single biggest factor in the Indian cricket team’s success in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023’, with the options being;

• a. Indian fast bowling
• b. Indian top-order batting
• c. Great captaincy by Rohit Sharma
• d. India sorting out no. 4 conundrum

Fortunately, or unfortunately, there is no correct answer to this question, but only a more apt one. And looking at India’s performances in the last two World Cups, option (d.) looks like the team’s answer to end their ICC trophy drought of 10 years. The simple reason being, that Team India never had a solid batter like Shreyas Iyer this year, who could provide stability in the middle, to the team. Let’s understand.

World Cup 2015 & No. 4 position

No. 4 Player	Opposition	Score
Suresh Raina	Pakistan	74(56)
Ajinkya Rahane	South Africa	79(60)
Ajinkya Rahane	UAE	DNB
Ajinkya Rahane	West Indies	14(34)
Ajinkya Rahane	Ireland	33(28)
Ajinkya Rahane	Zimbabwe	19(24)
Ajinkya Rahane	Bangladesh	19(37)
Ajinkya Rahane	Australia	44(68)

For the major chunk of the World Cup 2015, India’s preferred choice for the No. 4 position was Ajinkya Rahane, who just returned with one fifty in the entire tournament. In the group match against South Africa, he scored 79 from 60 balls, and India convincingly beat the Proteas by 133 runs. It was his solid approach that propelled the team total to 307, where the other middle-order batsmen struggled, after a great start by Shikhar Dhawan.

In the first match, Suresh Raina had scored 74 at no. 4 against Pakistan and aided Virat Kohli (107), to take the score to 300/7. And the result..India won the match comfortably by 76 runs. Then the chase against the West Indies was a struggle, where all we had to get was 183 runs. Rahane, once again batted at no. 4, but was mighty ineffective. He could score only 14 from 35, putting pressure on the latter batsmen. Somehow India crossed the line with four wickets to spare, just showing how important his position was, in the context of the match.

Cut to the match against Zimbabwe. Rahane at no. 4 failed again (19), which put a lot of pressure on the team batting. At one stage India was 92/4, chasing 288. With an average bowling attack, Zimbabwe failed to put pressure on MS Dhoni, and Raina, as India reached home. But the no. 4 departing early did cause problems for the team.

Lastly, in the semis against Australia, while chasing 329, India needed the No. 4 batsman to fire, but that did not happen as we lost the match by 95 runs. Rahane made 44 from 68 balls and consumed a lot of balls, which put pressure on the following batsmen.

World Cup 2019 & No. 4 Woes

No. 4 Player	Opposition	Score
KL Rahul	South Africa	26(42)
Hardik Pandya	Australia	48(27)
—	New Zealand	DNB
Hardik Pandya	Pakistan	26(19)
Vijay Shankar	Afghanistan	29(41)
Vijay Shankar	West Indies	14(19)
Rishabh Pant	England	32(29)
Rishabh Pant	Bangladesh	48(41)
Rishabh Pant	Sri Lanka	4(4)
Rishabh Pant	New Zealand	32(56)

There isn’t a better example of why Team India needs a solid No. 4 option in the ICC events, at least. In the last two years before the tournament, India used Ambati Rayudu as the no. 4 batsman but was axed at the last moment for the World Cup team. What followed in the tournament wasn’t less than disastrous. Of course, we reached the semis, but the team’s batting suffered greatly as KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, and Rishabh Pant were tested as No. 4s.

Surprisingly, not even a single fifty came at that position for India throughout the World Cup. Rohit Sharma did score five tons, but without the support of a solid middle-order, Team India did crumble eventually, in the semis against New Zealand. In fact, it was chasing which suffered more than anything. The match against England gave a glimpse of what was to follow. Batting first, the Three Lions scored 337, and India lost by 31 runs. Batting at no. 4, Rishabh Pant scored 32 from 29 deliveries.

But it was too late in the tournament for India to sort out their no. 4 woes. And in the semis, our team could not chase down 240 runs. At 24-4, there was hardly anything that Pant could have done. The no. 4 of the match scored 32 from 56 but had he stayed on the wicket a little longer, things would have been different.

World Cup 2023 & What’s Changed

No. 4 Player	Opposition	Score
Shreyas Iyer	Australia	0
Shreyas Iyer	Afghanistan	25
Shreyas Iyer	Pakistan	53
Shreyas Iyer	Bangladesh	19
Shreyas Iyer	New Zealand	33
Shreyas Iyer	England	4
Shreyas Iyer	Sri Lanka	82
Shreyas Iyer	South Africa	77
Shreyas Iyer	Netherlands	128
Shreyas Iyer	New Zealand	105

Coming into the World Cup, India did try a host of players at no. 4, but the signs were clear, once fit, it was Shreyas Iyer who was going to bat there. After an initial struggle, he did come good and played a key role in breaking India’s semi-final jinx. In the last four match against New Zealand, he stamped his authority with a whirlwind 70-ball 105.

In the 10 matches he has played, his batting position has not changed, and as a result, he has scored 526 runs with two tons and three fifties to his name. He has also ensured that the pressure does not get to him or the batsmen preceding or following him with his quick scoring ability. In the match against Pakistan, where he scored 53, he made sure he took the team home and did not throw away his wicket after Shubman Gill & Virat Kohli were out cheaply.

In the match against South Africa too, he did not let the scoring rate drop and strung a partnership of 134 with Kohli, scoring 77 himself. And the last two matches have just been a great confidence booster for him. Especially the IND vs NZ semis.

While Iyer’s success, or just the no. 4 batsman’s success doesn’t guarantee India the World Cup final win already, it surely has played its part in helping the team reach this far. And once again in the final, Shreyas Iyer at no. 4 will be as important as Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, And Virat Kohli in their respective positions.