The veteran Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu has got a lot of support from the skipper Virat Kohli to solve India’s number four conundrum ahead of the ICC 2019 World Cup just a few months away. A number of options have been tried at the experimental spot which doesn’t yield any results. The likes of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Ajinkya Rahane have all played at number four but have failed to cement their spot in the position. With Rayudu showing fine form in the middle-order Indian skipper feels that he is the right man for the job. 

Now, Rayudu is gearing up for the second ODI against West Indies and he is not feeling any pressure what so ever of performing at his position. On Tuesday, during the pre-match press conference, he said that there is no added responsibility for him as he has been batting in the middle-order for quite some time now.

Talking about the expectation, he said, “I don’t think it is new for me as I have been batting in the middle-order for long. There is nothing new that they have asked me to do. To be very honest, I am just focused on this series at the moment and not really thinking too far ahead.”

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Before receiving his maiden call-up for the national squad, Rayudu was a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. However, he was dropped from the Indian ODI squad ahead of the England tour earlier this year after failing the mandatory yo-yo test despite his stunning Indian Premier League campaign with reigning champions Chennai Super Kings.

Talking about the same, he said, “I have been working on my fitness right from my injury. I don’t think yo-yo test had any bearing on how I was preparing or how I was going about my fitness. Even now I am going to the NCA, there is a small pocket of free time for a week and I am happy that I cleared the test. I think even before the IPL, it’s not that I was not in contention. It’s just that I had few injuries. IPL was goa od platform to come back strong, especially on my fitness.”

In the first ODI, Rayudu didn’t get to bat much as Rohit Sharma and Kohli scored mind-blowing centuries to demolish the Windies bowling attack single-handedly. The duo posted a 246-run stand for the second wicket to belittle a challenging total of 323 runs. 

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Describing his point of view on the performances of the top 3, the Hyderabad batsman said, “Obviously it’s great that the top three are doing so well for India. It’s a challenge for the middle order to always be ready to get in and bat. I am sure everybody is up for it, everybody knows the situation. It’s just one game (the first ODI in Guwahati), I think they bowled really well and it’s just that Virat and Rohit batted brilliantly. They will pose a good challenge in the coming games.”