India captain Rohit Sharma has opened up on the all-important fourth position in the Indian ODI cricket. He said that no player has been able to secure a spot in the team since Yuvraj Singh retired. He also expressed his concerns about the issue before the upcoming World Cup. With the ODI World Cup around the corner, the Indian team is struggling to find a fixed option for the No. 4 position, which was also a problem in the previous 2019 edition as well.
It was held in England. Shreyas Iyer, making his return after a long injury, played quite well in 20 matches at No. 4, scoring 805 runs at a 47.35 average, including two centuries and five fifties as well.
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“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 Sharma told reporters on the sidelines of a La Liga event here. “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.”
The India captain also stated that the high number of injuries to key players had certainly hampered their plan and also the team in the long run as well. With both KL Rahul – India’s preferred No. 5 wicketkeeper-batter – and Shreyas Iyer on the verge of returning Rohit Sharma stated that they will wait and see how they progress also.
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“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,” Rohit Sharma concluded.
