In a recent conversation, Shastri mentioned that he believes Virat Kohli should be considered as the No. 4 batter for India in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. He thinks that although KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are capable of performing well in that position, they haven’t been actively playing cricket for a while. This lack of match practice limits India’s options for the No. 4 spot. He said in an interview: “You are talking about wicket-keeping when the guy has come from a knee injury, the range of movement, things like (that). That is a no, no straight”.
Based on this situation, Shastri recommended that Virat Kohli take on the role. Interestingly, he had previously suggested Kohli’s name for the same position during the 2019 ODI World Cup.
Shastri also shared his thoughts on the batting lineup and suggested that Ishan Kishan should open the batting, while Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill could adjust their positions as needed.
He explained that moving Virat down the order could balance the team’s batting strength and bring more experience to the lower-middle order.
Shastri emphasized that players need to adapt to different roles in the game, using the examples of players like Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson. He encouraged Kohli to innovate his batting approach for ongoing success. Virat Kohli has been in excellent form this year, performing consistently well in both ODIs and across different formats.
Want to read the best cricket blogs or the latest sports articles? Visit this page.