After Sourav Ganguly, former South African batter AB de Villiers also holds the view that Virat Kohli would be an ideal choice for the number 4 batting position in the Indian cricket team. De Villiers believes that Kohli’s presence in this role would offer the team the necessary equilibrium and stability during significant upcoming tournaments. The Indian team is currently grappling with a significant predicament concerning the number 4 position in their ODI lineup ahead of the Asia Cup 2023, particularly with Shreyas Iyer’s lack of competitive play over the last 7 to 8 months.
Also read: Not Kohli, Pandya; Shubman Gill is most fit Indian cricketer ahead of Asia Cup 2023
This situation is not unprecedented for India, as they encountered a similar challenge during the 2019 World Cup, which ultimately had repercussions in their semifinal match against New Zealand. A number of former players, including Ravi Shastri, have suggested the prospect of placing Kohli at the number 4 position to achieve the desired equilibrium in the batting lineup. De Villiers shares this perspective and has expressed his strong endorsement for this strategic move.
“I would be a big supporter of that. I feel Virat is the perfect No. 4, can keep the innings together and play any kind of role in the middle order. I don’t know whether he would like to do that role. But at the end of the day, if the team needs you to do something and play a role, you got to put your hand up and go for it,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
Virat Kohli has a good track record when batting at the fourth position in One Day Internationals (ODIs), amassing 1767 runs from 42 matches at an impressive average of 55.21. His performances at this position include seven centuries. Over the recent years, India experimented with Shreyas Iyer in the same role, and he delivered promising results. Across 20 matches batting at number 4, Iyer accumulated 805 runs with a solid average of 47.35, which consisted of two centuries and five half-centuries.
Earlier, Ganguly picked his squad for the ODI World Cup 2023, in which he placed Kohli at the number 4. Ganguly crafted a strong batting lineup that includes Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ishan Kishan in the top order. Subsequently, he relied on the experience of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Iyer, and Suryakumar Yadav in the middle order. For wicketkeeping duties, Ganguly designated Ishan and Rahul. He chose Hardik Pandya as the vice-captain. In terms of all-rounders, the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were chosen. Among the spin bowling options, Kuldeep Yadav was the sole specialist spinner named in the squad.
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