With less than two months remaining until the 50-over tournament, India is still struggling to identify a suitable candidate for the No. 4 slot.
The ODI World Cup 2023 in India is just around the corner, yet the host team is still grappling with the issue of team composition. Similar to the 2019 World Cup, India is facing a persistent challenge in filling the crucial No. 4 slot. Since the retirement of Yuvraj Singh, no batsman has managed to establish themselves in this position in the Indian ODI team.
This concern was highlighted by captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday, casting a shadow of doubt over India's prospects in the upcoming World Cup. With less than two months remaining until the 50-over tournament, India is still struggling to identify a suitable candidate for the No. 4 slot, a problem that plagued them in the previous edition in England in 2019.
Shreyas Iyer, who is making a comeback after a lengthy injury hiatus, has displayed exceptional performance in his 20 matches at the No. 4 position. He has amassed an impressive total of 805 runs at an average of 47.35, including two centuries and five half-centuries.
"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," Rohit told reporters on the sidelines of a La Liga event.
"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 said.
The captain of the Indian team expressed concern over the high percentage of injuries affecting players in crucial positions, which has significantly hindered the team's performance in the long term.
"The percentage of injuries that have happened in the last 4-5 years, it 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," he said.
"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," Rohit added.
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