India's No. 4 conundrum
The last batsman to cement his place at No. 4 for India in ODIs, was the stylish left-hander Yuvraj Singh. It is quite surprising that India being a batting powerhouse, is still struggling to find his replacement.
After the announcement of the ODI squad for the England tour, it is quite clear now that Yuvraj Singh won't be making it to the ODI side (Bad news for Yuvi fans!). Once the mainstay of India's middle order, and destructive No. 4, Yuvraj Singh, has struggled with fitness and form in the recent past. The No. 4 is still the most vulnerable position in the Indian team and is up for grabs.
In the last three years or so, India has tried quite a few players for that position, but no one has yet proved to be the perfect contender for that spot, and that's the reason India is still looking for a proper No. 4 in the ODI side.
The Indian team has come a full circle of trying and testing players at No. 4. India's No. 4 search began with Ajinkya Rahane playing at that position, and in the recently concluded India vs. SA ODI series, they had fallen back to Rahane (He was once termed as only the third opener, after his failures and inability to play on the slowish pitches in the middle overs). But that experiment didn't end very well as Rahane couldn't live up to the expectations. He started well in the first game with a match-winning 79, but as the series progressed, his scores didn't impress the selectors. As a result of that, he has been dropped from the 16-man ODI squad selected for England tour this year.
Hence it is quite clear that the No. 4 position is still up for grabs. Other players tried at No. 4 in the past are - KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav (mostly at No. 5), Shreyas Iyer and even Hardik Pandya. But no one has been able to perform convincingly at No. 4 so far.
So, who is the answer for the all-important No. 4 position. A quick look at the ODI squad for England tour will give us a fair idea of what we might see in the 2019 World Cup (which is scheduled to take place in England next year). Along with Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey has also been dropped from the ODIs.
Going by the current form, and with all the other resources failing, KL Rahul might be the answer. KL Rahul is back in the Indian team and has been in a tremendous form in the IPL this season. Although he is scoring runs as an opener, he is very much capable of doing the same at No. 4. He is young, dynamic and hitting the ball better than ever. But before jumping the guns, first let us look at all the prospects of No. 4 (Based on the ODI squad for England tour this year) and see, why KL Rahul fits the deal just right.
Other contenders for the No. 4 are - Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, and Shreyas Iyer. In all probability, Dinesh Karthik will take the No. 5 position, as he has shown his ability to finish games recently. Karthik has been batting well at this position, and this will allow the Indian team to give him the finisher role along with Dhoni at No. 6.
Ambati Rayudu has played well in this IPL and has been rewarded by the selectors for his performances. But age is not his friend at the moment and giving him a stint at No. 4 will again be a temporary solution, which won't be helpful in the long run. Once he is out of form India will still struggle to look for a proper No. 4.
Shreyas Iyer is young, and a good prospect for the Indian team, but in a condition favorable for bowlers, he still has a lot to work on his batting as we saw on the tour of South Africa. Being in the 16-man squad will in itself be a good experience for him for the moment. Considering Shreyas Iyer ahead of Rahul, will not be fair to Rahul as he is the most dynamic option and also brings a handful experience of International cricket.
KL Rahul has all the shots, so considering him just a backup opener will be a waste of the skill and talent he possesses. He is more dynamic and technically sound among other contenders for the No. 4 spot. He should be given a go at No. 4, and hopefully, he delivers and solves India's long-standing No. 4 conundrum in ODIs.
The only drawback of playing KL Rahul at No.4, and Dinesh Karthik at No. 5, will be the fact that the Indian line-up will have 6 one dimensional players because none of them can bowl. But then again, none of the other contenders is capable of doing that.
In this case, Hardik Pandya will have to bowl his full quota of overs, and he has shown improvements in his bowling. Hence, India will trust him to bowl ten overs in every match. Hopefully, that's the case, and India gets the batsman, they are looking for at No.4 in KL Rahul.