3 Reasons why Virat Kohli shouldn't bat at No. 4 in the World Cup

The current Indian coach Ravi Shastri is known for his outlandish or over the top comments in his interviews. He’s often been in the spotlight for some of his comments. And once again, he has stolen all the spotlight with one comment on Virat Kohli.

In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Shastri was asked if there is a possibility of Virat Kohli batting at No. 4 (given India’s struggles with that slot in the last few years). The Indian head coach replied it is a possibility and Kohli could be batting at 4. He doesn’t want his best batsman to fall cheaply in a big World Cup game.

“Yes, maybe Rayudu, or someone else, could bat at number three, and Kohli comes in at number four. You don't want to be 18-3 or 16-4 in a big tournament. I don't care about bilateral ODIs, but why should I lose my best batsman early in a World Cup match (if the conditions are bowler friendly)?” This was Ravi comment when he was asked about the possibility of Kohli batting at No.4 in the World Cup.

However, there are a few reasons why the Indian skipper shouldn’t bat at No. 4 in the upcoming World Cup.

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#3 Team’s best batsman needs to bat as many deliveries as possible

We’ve often heard experts and pundits say that the team’s best batsman has to bat as long as possible and has to face as many deliveries as possible, especially in the shorter formats. Virat Kohli is certainly the best batsman of India’s ODI side.

Hence, he can control the game batting at No. 3. He gets to face a large chunk of the overs and allows him to set the pace of the innings. Shifting down the order might just affect his tempo (may not happen but a possibility) and he might have to force the issue at times from the word go.

Thus, batting at 3 will also give him time to assess the conditions and set the tone (or rather pace) of the innings accordingly.

#2 Never backs down from a challenge

Kohli thrives under difficult situations

Virat Kohli is one player who thrives in difficult situations and loves challenges. He loves it when the tide is against him and he has to take his team through the tough phase.

Ravi Shastri’s concern is why would he want his best batsman back in the pavilion early in a World Cup game. But Kohli has the ability to overcome the tough conditions and weather the storm, irrespective of the format and the position he is batting. So why can’t he do it at No. 3? In the last year or so, he has scored Test hundreds in some of the most challenging conditions and has bailed the team out from trouble on multiple occasions.

Kohli has done it on numerous occasions even in white-ball cricket. He can turn the tide and bail the team out from any situation. Hence, batting at No. 3 will help Kohli to take the game head on and fight fire with fire, as he’s done for so long.

#1 Record at No. 3 and why dislodge a fabulous top three?

India's top three is ruthless in ODIs

Virat Kohli is arguably the best No. 3 batsman in the world at the moment. In 162 innings Kohli has batted at No. 3, he has amassed 8440 runs at a stunning average of 62.98. He has 32 ODI hundreds at that position which is more than any player in the history of the game batting at that No. 3 spot. He doesn’t have a bad record at No. 4 as well but he is arguably the best white-ball player of this era and he’s accomplished all this batting largely at No. 3.

Another argument is that why would should India tamper with the top three who have been dominating world cricket in the last few years. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan have combined to score more than 9000 ODI runs since the start of 2016. All three of them feature in the top five run-getters list since January 2016. In fact, India have been heavily dependent on their top three to get the bulk of the runs and they’ve constantly delivered.

Kohli has a wonderful record batting with both Rohit and Dhawan. The Indian skipper averages 65.35 batting with Rohit (which includes 16 century partnerships) while he averages 62.72 batting with Dhawan (which includes 8 century stands). Thus, India’s current top three is one of the best in the world and you want your best players to bat at their best positions in a big event like a World Cup.