2 Indian batsmen who may be perfect for the number four slot

India v Sri Lanka - ICC Champions Trophy
Kohli comes at no. 3 but who will make it to the no. 4 spot

The next ICC Cricket World Cup is scheduled to take place next year and it is less than nine months away. A total of ten teams will participate in the World Cup and every team is eager to find the right combination for the mega tournament. World Cup is the biggest tournament of Cricket and all the elite teams will be aiming to do well.

Meanwhile, it will be the 12th edition of the tournament and England will host the World Cup for the fifth time. The country hosted the grand tournament last time in 1999 and it was immensely successful. Australia lifted the title that year defeating Pakistan in the final. As a matter of fact, the host country England is yet to win a World Cup title and they will be hoping to win their first World Cup trophy next year.

India is one of the favourite teams to win the title. India is an exceptional team in the ODI format and currently the second-ranked ODI team in the world. But the middle-order is an issue for Team India and they have failed to find an ideal batsman for the number four position. Since the 2015 World Cup, the Men in Blue have tried several players, but none has looked convincing yet to lead the India middle-order.

India tried numerous batsmen like Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu at the number four position. But none of them succeeded in cementing their spot. The World Cup is not very far away and it is high time for the selectors to find the best suitable player for the important number four position. Here we discuss 2 players who can be an ideal choice at the number four position.


#2 Shubman Gill

England Lions v India A - Tri-Series International
Shubman Gill turned out for India A against England Lions

Shubman Gill is one of the best young players in the country and he can be the perfect candidate for the number four slot. He is a middle order batsman who has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit. He is still in the early days of his career but has a bright chance to get his India call-up soon.

The 19-year old came to the spotlight this year when he helped India to win the U19 World Cup. In fact, he scored 418 runs in the U19 World Cup at an astonishing average of 104. He was the highest run-getter of the tournament. Eventually, Kolkata Knight Riders roped in the youngster in IPL where he played 13 games for the Kolkata franchise.

Additionally, Gill has a proper batting technique and a good temperament to play big knocks. He is the part of India A squad now and he has been performing well regularly. Therefore, the selectors can try him in the middle order and he can an exemplary addition in the Indian middle-order.

#1 Rishabh Pant

England v India: Specsavers 5th Test - Day Five
Rishabh Pant got his maiden Test century in the recently concluded fifth Test against England

Rishabh is another exciting talent in Indian cricket and he recently made his India Test debut. However, he is yet to make his debut in the ODI format. Being a magnificent middle-order batsman and a wicket-keeper, he is regarded as the successor of MS Dhoni.

Pant has been in incredible form this year and he has been scoring plenty of runs. He was the second highest run-getter in the IPL this year where he scored 684 runs at an average of 52.61. Additionally, he finished the England Test series on a high note and scored his maiden international Test century in the fifth Test match.

The 20-year old is an attacking batsman who has a noteworthy batting technique. He is adept in hitting the balls to every part of the ground and he can be a nightmare for the bowlers on his day. Thus, he can be a great choice for the number four spot in the ODI format and he is certainly capable of leading the Indian middle-order.

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Edited by Sagnik Mallick