"He is looking good right now"- Yuvraj Singh wants India to stick to KL Rahul at No. 4 in the ODI World Cup
Former legendary Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh wants the Men in Blue to give KL Rahul the responsibility to bat at No. 4 in the World Cup beginning in less than a week's time.
Yuvraj has been highly impressed with the way Rahul has performed in the middle order, especially in the Asia Cup. He shed light on how well Rahul batted against Pakistan on his comeback from injury and smashed a hundred, proving his mettle.
Speaking to The Week, here's what Yuvraj Singh had to say about KL Rahul:
“India want K.L. Rahul to bat at No. 4 now. They have to give him 15-20 games in that position. In the Asia Cup, coming back from injury, he scored a 100. On a spinning track [in Colombo, against Sri Lanka] he scored a vital 39 runs. He is looking good right now, so they need to stick with him at N0. 4.”
Yuvraj himself batted at No.4 for India a number of times and here's what he added about the expectations from that tole:
“No. 4 is a crucial position, especially if the openers get out cheaply. No. 4 batsman needs to have the technique to leave the ball, play the short ball well, and try and create partnerships.”
Yuvraj Singh on importance of experience in World Cups
Yuvraj Singh was India's No. 4 in the 2017 Champions Trophy. However, once he lost form, they tried a number of players like Ambati Rayudu, Vijay Shankar, etc. in that position. Unfortunately, the No. 4 debate wasn't settled even during the 2019 World Cup.
Speaking about the importance of experience in World Cups, Yuvraj asserted:
“After I was dropped from the team, they experimented with Ambati Rayudu. He got a 90-odd in New Zealand, and when he didn't get runs against Australia, just before the World Cup, they just dropped him. And then they kept on changing... Vijay Shankar... and got Rishabh Pant with no experience. You can't go to a World Cup with guys who don't have any experience. Before our first World Cup, I had played 35 games and [Mohammed] Kaif nearly 25 games.”
With Shreyas Iyer back to full fitness and among the runs, it looks like India will have KL Rahul at No. 5 in the World Cup.