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Saba Karim opens up on finalizing India’s No. 4 batter
By SMCS - Aug 12, 2022 4:10 pm
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Saba Karim has said that Team India needs to get their balance right to set their No. 4 batter, an area that has been troubling them for quite some time now. They have preferred to use Rishabh Pant at the No. 4 position as well. However, he was also made to open in the T20I series against England.

suryakumar yadav
Suryakumar Yadav played a dominating knock

During an interaction on the Sports 18 show ‘Sports Over the Top’, Saba Karim said: “Yes, you need to sort it out as soon as possible. But to fix the No. 4 position for a specific player, we need to get the balance of the side correct. When I say this, I mean they need to pick between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant.”

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Saba Karim added that Suryakumar Yadav can be slotted in at No. 4, assuming it is his best place to bat as well.

Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant contributed to India’s series win

He said, “Once you decide on either of these players, then it is easy to slot in Surya at No. 4. It’s up to the team management to decide what is the ideal position for Suryakumar Yadav. If the team management feels No. 4 is the ideal position for him to come in, then the rest of the batting order follows. India has done well with five bowlers plus Hardik Pandya as the sixth bowling option. So would you like to break that kind of a combination and get in another batter in Dinesh Karthik at No. 7. That means you will go in with Hardik Pandya as the fifth bowler who is expected to bowl four overs.”

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“Whatever I have seen from Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, I think he prefers to have five regular bowlers plus Hardik Pandya as their sixth bowling option. KL Rahul being the vice-captain, I look at him as an opener with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4,” Saba Karim concluded.