"After Yuvi, nobody has come and settled themselves in" - Rohit Sharma addresses India's No. 4 concerns ahead of ODI World Cup
Indian captain Rohit Sharma understands the frustration surrounding the uncertainty over India's middle-order options, especially No. 4, with just less than a couple of months remaining for the ODI World Cup.
Rohit feels that after former star all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, no one has really made the spot his own. Shreyas Iyer has excellent numbers at No. 4, averaging over 47 in 20 innings and the Indian captain acknowledged that as well.
However, on the sidelines of a La Liga event in Mumbai, here's what Rohit Sharma had to say about how injuries to key players like Shreyas Iyer have hampered Team India:
“Look, No. 4 has been an issue for us for a long time. After Yuvi, nobody has come and settled themselves in. But, for a long period of time, Shreyas (Iyer) has actually batted at No. 4 and he has done well — his numbers are really good. Unfortunately, injuries have given him a bit of trouble; he has been out for a while and that is honestly what has happened in the last 4-5 years."
So many guys came in and went out: Rohit Sharma on India's injury woes
Even in the 2019 World Cup, the absence of a genuine No. 4 arguably hurt India. Rohit Sharma, who was the vice-captain at that time, feels that injuries have forced the Men in Blue to try out different players in that position.
On this, he stated:
“The percentage of injuries that have happened in the last 4-5 years, it is massive. When the players get injured or are not available, you try doing different things with different players — that is what I have to say about No. 4. Even before, when I was not the captain, I was watching, no? There were so many guys who came in and went out. But injuries kept them away or they were not available or someone lost form."
India will be hopeful of the best-case scenario, which is KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer getting fit and ready for a comeback in the Asia Cup next month.