"KL Rahul is the most suitable choice" - Rajkumar Sharma on the No.4 conundrum for Team India in ODI cricket
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma believes KL Rahul might be the long-term solution to Team India's No.4 conundrum in ODI cricket.
Rahul, who captained Team India in the recent ODI series against South Africa, opted to bat at the top of the order in the series. It will be interesting to see his batting position once he returns to the Indian side for the second match of the upcoming ODI rubber against the West Indies.
During a discussion on India News, Rajkumar Sharma was asked about his preference for Team India's No.4 batter in ODI cricket. He responded:
"The sort of form Shikhar Dhawan has shown, it proves that he has a lot of cricket left in him. I believe if he opens along with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli plays at No.3, then KL Rahul is the most suitable choice at No.4."
The former first-class cricketer highlighted that Rahul has all the requisite skills to bat in the crucial position. Sharma explained:
"I am seeing from the World Cup perspective. You get a permanent number four batter, something which the Indian team is searching for, for a very long while. He can play the long innings, he has the temperament and the technique, he accelerates his knock, he is good at finding the singles."
While opening - 884 runs @ 46.5
While batting at no.4 - 160 runs @ 40
While batting at no.5 - 453 runs @ 56.63
What according to you, is an ideal batting position for KL Rahul in ODI cricket? 🤔
#KLRahul #India #INDvWI #Cricket #ODIs https://t.co/siHIv9ifDW
KL Rahul has batted at the No.4 spot in just five of the 41 ODIs he has played to date. However, he does have a decent record at the position, having scored 160 runs at an average of 40.
"It is a very big question if KL Rahul himself wants to play at No.4" - Reetinder Sodhi
Reetinder Singh Sodhi, however, raised doubts about Rahul's willingness to bat in the middle order. The former Indian all-rounder pointed out:
"It is a very big question if KL Rahul himself wants to play at No.4 or not because we have always seen him open. He has been a success, he sees through the new ball well and if he gets his eye in, he also hits the big hundred."
While observing that Rishabh Pant might be preferred at the spot to give the left and right-handed batting combination, Sodhi cast his vote for Shreyas Iyer. He elaborated:
"So his playing at No.4 could be in question. Rahul Dravid can think about the left-right combination but at the end of the day, you should have one guy ready in your mind. I think Shreyas Iyer, although he is infected currently, but he seems to be the frontrunner."
Shreyas Iyer will again have to miss a series/ tournament. He has been in & out of the team in the last 1 yr & not getting a consistent run to prove himself. He can be a solid No.4 across formats. Hoping he comes back for the T20Is. #ShreyasIyer #BCCI #cricket
Rahul might prefer to open for Team India in ODI cricket. However, he might have no option but to bat down the order if the think tank opts to stick with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan as the opening combination.