Top 3 knocks while batting at No.4 for India in T20Is
The No. 4 slot in T20Is holds a significant importance to the batting side. The core middle-order slot requires a wide-ranging skill set, from having a compact defense to being able to hit the ball long and hard.
A batter playing at No. 4 should have situational awareness as he/she might have to bail his side out of 10/2 at times or prosper on an express start provided by top-order batters. But most importantly, the batter should be able to rotate the strike with ease and keep the scoreboard ticking without playing too many dot balls.
Since their maiden T20I game in 2006, India have witnessed some renowned middle-order batters, namely Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, to name a few. They have produced some scintillating batting performances over the years.
On that note, let's look at the three best T20I innings by Indian batters while batting at No.4.
#3 Yuvraj Singh - 72 off 36 vs Pakistan in 2012
.@YUVSTRONG12 hit 7 sixes in his 72 off 36 to beat Pakistan in 2012! Will we see something similar tonight? #INDvPAK https://t.co/81sPx5JUcy
Into the third month of his comeback from a rare germ-cell cancer, Yuvraj launched a blistering assault on the Pakistani bowling attack. After losing the opening T20I, India squared off against the arch-rivals for the second game in Ahmedabad to level the series.
After being put to bat first, Yuvraj Singh came out to bat at 53/2 in seven overs. The Pakistani bowlers contained Indian batters with tight line and lengths. Giant pacer Mohammad Irfan welcomed Yuvraj with a searing toe-crushing yorker.
After seeing through the initial phase, runs cascaded from the veteran's blade as he repaired the earlier damage by the Pakistani bowlers in the company of skipper MS Dhoni. The left-hander spared no one, not even the wily Saeed Ajmal, who leaked plenty in the penultimate over as the rampaging prince blasted three huge sixes in no time.
With four boundaries and seven maximums, Yuvraj's knock of 72 off 36 balls propelled India to 192 in the first innings. The hosts eventually won the game by 11 runs, thus squaring the two-match series.
#2 KL Rahul - 110* off 51 vs West Indies in 2016
1st T20I vs West Indies
Target: 246
Kohli scored only 16(9) runs.
Lewis hit a wonderful hundred.
In chasing, Rahul hit a wonderful inning 110(51) runs.
India needed 2 runs on last ball and Dhoni went for defence and catched out on Dj Bravo.
India lost the match by 1 run. https://t.co/ZcstMXfnEI
Fans witnessed two players scoring a century in the same T20I during a battle between India and West Indies in 2016 in Florida.
After winning the toss, MS Dhoni put West Indies to bat first on the belter of a pitch in Lauderhill. The Caribbean unit muscled Indian bowlers and smashed 245/6 in the first innings (their highest-ever in T20Is). Evin Lewis, with his 100 off 49 balls, led the charge for the West Indies.
In response, coming into bat at No. 4, KL Rahul raced to 25 in 12 deliveries. He whacked Sunil Narine for two fours and launched a six over mid-off as 16 came off the sixth over. Rahul kept on finding the boundaries at will and eased to his fifty off 26 balls by slapping Kieron Pollard for four.
Many would have ruled India out of the match, especially after they lost Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane's wickets before crossing the 50-run mark. However, the Karnataka batter showed his class and put on a spectacular performance and went berserk to keep India alive in the game.
He notched up his maiden T20I ton off 46 balls in some style, carving Andre Russell over the infield for a maximum.
The equation came down to eight off the last over, but Dwayne Bravo bowled superbly as India could only score six. Dhoni was caught off the last ball as Rahul’s brilliance couldn’t take India over the line.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav - 117 off 55 vs England in 2022
The highest score in T20Is while batting at No. 4 came from the willow of Suryakumar Yadav in the recently concluded third T20I between England and India at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
The Mumbai lad gave a 360-degree masterclass en route to his marvelous ton, scoring 117 runs off just 55 balls.
After deciding to bat, Dawid Malan scored a magnificent 77 off just 39 deliveries to help England take down India's second-string bowling attack and post a whopping 215/7 total.
Suryakumar Yadav has been super impressive since his India debut 🔥🇮🇳
#SuryakumarYadav #IndianCricketTeam #ENGvIND #CricketTwitter https://t.co/NnNtPeOpFY
The hosts continued their momentum in the second innings as well, sending India reeling at 31/3 in four overs. However, Suryakumar remained undeterred by the flurry of wickets as he forged a record 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Shreyas Iyer (28) to stabilize the Indian innings.
Suryakumar crushed 14 boundaries and six maximums in a mesmerizing exhibition of aggressive yet fluent batting. He produced some exceptional and well-crafted strokeplay while maneuvering himself around the fielders and almost single-handedly won the game for India.
Given that none of his teammates scored more than 28, his 117 was the second-highest individual score by an Indian in T20Is and one of the best innings you will ever witness in a losing cause.