Team India skipper Rohit Sharma admitted the concerns regarding the number four slot in the batting order in ODIs. He expressed that no player has been able to seal the spot for since Yuvraj Singh’s retirement. The team has been struggling to fix the number four position, with the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 just around the corner.
Team India faced similar concerns during the 2019 ODI World Cup when they travelled without a designated number four batter. They crashed out of the tournament after losing in the semi-final. In the last few years, India has tried Shreyas Iyer for the position. He has done a good job, scoring 805 runs at 47.35 with two centuries and five fifties. However, his place in the team is uncertain as he hasn’t fully recovered from his back injury.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma spoke about the No. 4 conundrum on the sidelines of a La Liga event. He said,
“Look, No. 4 has been an issue for us for a long time. After Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh), nobody has come and settled themselves in. But, for a long period of time, Shreyas (Iyer) has actually batted at No. 4 and he has done well – his numbers are really good.”
“Unfortunately, injuries have given him a bit of trouble; he has been out for a while and that is honestly what has happened in the last 4-5 years. A lot of these guys have got injured and you will always see a new guy coming and playing there,” he added.
Injury percentage is massive in the last 4-5 years: Rohit Sharma
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma also explained the reason behind having a fixed number four batter. He expressed that there have been a lot of injuries in the last 4-5 years, which has hampered the team combinations. He also added that while injuries have kept some players out of the team, some haven’t been in good form. Rohit Sharma said,
“The percentage of injuries that have happened in the last 4-5 years is massive. When the players get injured or are not available, you try doing different things with different players – that is what I have to say about No. 4. Even before when I was not the captain, I was watching no? There were so many guys who came in and went out. But injuries kept them away or they were not available or someone lost form.”
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