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The World Cup 2023 is quickly approaching, and everyone in India seems to be planning for the major event. Regarding India’s squad selection, there are many various points of view, and the discussion around it is getting hotter and hotter every day.
The fourth spot, which was a problem throughout the 2019 World Cup, continues to be a major topic of discussion. No one has been able to clinch that position since Yuvraj Singh’s withdrawal during the 2017 Champions Trophy. In the ODI format, the Men in Blue have tested more than 15 players at the number 4 spot since 2017, but with the World Cup 2023 only two months away, the uncertainty only grows.
Now let’s look at the five players who can start for India at the vital home World Cup at position number 4.
Shreyas Iyer for World Cup 2023
Shreyas Iyer is the best prospect for the fourth spot. For the previous couple of years, he has played number 4 wonderfully, and when an injury halted his development, he seemed ready to take over that position in the World Cup. He hasn’t played in an India ODI since the series against Bangladesh, and some people continue to question his fitness.
Shreyas Iyer, who bats at position four for India, has two hundred and five fifty-sixes to his name in 20 innings. Iyer has 805 runs at an average of 47.35, and the Indian management is likely to support him for the coveted number 4 spot if he becomes healthy before the World Cup.
Additionally, Shreyas Iyer can adapt his play to the game’s circumstances and can use the long handle rather well when necessary.
KL Rahul for World Cup 2023
KL Rahul is yet another fantastic choice for the position of number four. But for the past several years, he has been batting at position five for India. At age 5, he posted respectable numbers, giving up 742 runs in 18 innings, averaging 53 runs. But Rahul, who plays position four, has also contributed effectively, scoring runs at a pace of 40.17.
If Shreyas Iyer is ill, India may try Rahul at 4, since he has the game to balance innings if necessary and the ability to score runs swiftly.
Sanju Samson for World Cup 2023
Sanju Samson hasn’t had many opportunities to play ODI cricket, but when he has, he has seized them. He scored his runs at an average of 55.71 in 12 innings with a strike rate of 104 during India’s Caribbean trip in 2023. He also hit a quickfire fifty at the number four position against West Indies.
If he starts rolling, he has the capacity to take the game on and win games by himself. Samson, though, hasn’t batted at number 4 for India in many games, and his aggressive style might backfire. He has the propensity to lose wickets in an effort to score runs fast, but if he can strike the perfect mix between prudence and aggression, he might shift the course of the game for India.
Ishan Kishan for World Cup 2023
Ishan Kishan scored three fifty in a row in the ODI series against the Windies, but all of those runs came at the top of the order. Given that Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will start for India in the World Cup, Ishan Kishan would need to bat in the middle of the order if he wants to make the starting lineup.
Ishan, who bats at position number four, has only accrued 106 runs in six innings at an average of 21.20, and it is concerning because he does not alternate strikes in the middle overs. However, given that every other batter in the middle order is a right-hander, the fact that he is a left-hander may be in his favor.
Tilak Varma for World Cup 2023
Tilak Varma’s accuracy as well as composed demeanour have recently made an impression in T20Is. He has generated a lot of hype, and many have proposed he plays at number 4 in ODI cricket.
In List A, where he averages 56.18 and has played 25 innings, Tilak Varma has a stellar record. Additionally a left-hander, he has demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure. He may be a fantastic decision, but it might be risky to abruptly add a rookie to the World Cup roster.