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Team India failed to reach the final of the ODI Cricket World Cup 2019 in England, losing to New Zealand in the semifinal stage. Virat Kohli was the captain of the Indian team in that edition but will be playing as a player in his fourth World Cup when India host the Cricket World Cup 2023 from October 5 this year.
The biggest cause of concern for the Indian cricket team in the 2019 edition was the No. 4 position with the selection committee led by MSK Prasad controversially dropping batter Ambati Rayudu and selecting all-rounder Vijay Shankar instead. India’s former head coach Ravi Shastri has now revealed that he wanted Virat Kohli to bat at the important No. 4 position instead of the No. 3 position he batted in the 2019 World Cup.
Shastri also said that Kohli had a good record coming in the No. 4 in ODI cricket. “If Virat has to bat at four, he will bat at four in the interest of the side. You know, there were times I thought of it. Even in the previous two World Cups, when I was coach in 2019, I thought I might have discussed that with MSK as well of him batting at four just to break that top heavy line up,” Shastri revealed during a panel discussion on Star Sports on Tuesday.
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“You know, because if we lost two or three at the top, we were gone and it was proved so just for reaching that the experience. And if you look at Virat Kohli’s record, he is good enough at number four,” Shastri added.
Former India all-rounder and commentator Shastri believes that youngster Tilak Varma should be drafted into India’s middle-order for the Cricket World Cup 2023.
“There are three other positions where I think two left handers have to come in, apart from the top four you mentioned. Now this is where the selectors’ role comes in because they are watching. They know who’s the guy who’s hot. If Tilak Varma is hot, bring him in. If you think Yashasvi Jaiswal is hot, bring him in,” Shastri said on Star Sports while discussing India’s possible XI for the ODI World Cup 2023.
Shastri backed Ishan Kishan for the opener’s spot, stating that India had backed the aggressive left hander ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023 and Asia Cup 2023.
“So if you have persisted with Ishan Kishan for the last 6 to 8 months and he’s going to keep wickets, he comes in, in any case. But get two left handers. Including Jaddu, there should be three left-handers in the top seven. Ishan Kishan has been keeping for the last 15 months. Why go somewhere else?” Shastri said.
The former India head coach backed Tilak Varma for the No. 4 position and said that he really liked the way the youngster has batted in the last few months. India have tried several batters like Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav in the position, but none of them have been able to make the position their own in the ODI format.
“I am very, very impressed with Tilak Varma. And I want a left hander. If I am looking for a left hander, I would really look in that direction,” Shastri added.
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