3 reasons why Virat Kohli should not bat at No. 4 for India in the 2023 Asia Cup and World Cup
Is Virat Kohli the answer to India's longstanding No. 4 problem? Should he leave his preferred No. 3 for the team's cause?
These are some of the questions that have been constantly popping up in the cricket community for a while now.
The Indian cricket team has been grappling with a persistent issue that has been plaguing their ODI set-up for quite some time now: No. 4.
Skipper Rohit Sharma also stated that the team has struggled to find a suitable replacement since the retirement of Yuvraj Singh, a stalwart of Indian cricket who had made the position his own.
Several players—12 to be precise—have been tried in the role, but except for Shreyas Iyer, none have managed to cement their place. But his untimely injury made the case worse for the side, which has yet to identify its perfect combination for the upcoming World Cup 2023 at home.
So, where does Virat Kohli fit into this puzzle, and how did his name emerge so strongly for that role?
Well, according to speculations, the team management wants an experienced batter in the middle-order, and avoid too heavy top-order.
But this theory got strong support when former India head coach Ravi Shastri revealed that he thought about playing Virat Kohli at No. 4 during the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. Kohli, who bats at no. 4 in Test cricket, has been synonymous with the no. 3 spot in white-ball cricket.
Virat Kohli scored 1,767 in 39 matches, averaging 55.21 with the help of seven centuries and eight fifties batting at no. 4 in ODIs. But, it's not a viable option to bat him at that position in the upcoming Asia Cup and World Cup 2023.
In this article, we are going to discuss some of the reasons why Virat Kohli should not be considered at No. 4.
#3 Virat Kohli's ability to control innings at No. 3
Virat Kohli has been the perfect No. 3 any team can dream of in a player. His ability to play all kinds of fast bowling, be it swing or seam, at the top order protected the middle order from getting exposed against new balls for almost 15 years.
Also, you don't want your best batsman to play a lesser ball to make an impact on the match. Opponents always want to ball as little as they can, and by playing Virat at No. 4, India will play into their hands.
The vulnerable opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill against swing and seam doesn't seem to be going in favor of the demotion of Kohli.
#2 Virat Kohli's deteriorating game against spin
Virat Kohli's struggle against spinners, especially in the early phases of his innings, is not something that is hidden from anyone.
His numbers batting at No. 4 may excite someone, but those numbers came when he used to dominate the spinners like no other.
His lack of using feet, not forcing them to change their line by sweeping them, or lack of strike rotation against left-arm spinners and wrist spinners initially makes him vulnerable at No. 4.
This is a position where, on most occasions, Kohli will have to play spinners from ball one. The No. 3 position becomes most suitable for him, where he dominates the pacers, knowing the nature of the surface before the arrival of the spinners.
#1 Lack of viable options at No. 3
For once, if we assume that despite all these factors, Virat Kohli made the decision to bat at No. 4, then who's going to bat at No. 3 for India?
If the team is considering Ishan Kishan as a possible option for that position to sandwich a lefty between so many righties, then they will have to rethink their strategy.
The majority of Ishan Kishan's performance came when he opened the inning. There's a contrast in an inning's construction while opening compared to No. 3.
The lack of vision from management has created so much chaos that no player has been able to find out his role in the team, and that too just months before the 2023 World Cup. However, trying a youngster at a position that seems to have been fixed for eternity for the Indian team is not a sensible approach.