3 Reasons why Virat Kohli should bat at No. 4 in 2019 World Cup

India won the 2018 Asia Cup by beating Bangladesh in a thrilling final at Dubai and thereby winning the tournament for a record 7th time. Rohit Sharma's men finished the tournament without a single loss, and it must be said without much fuss except for a few tense moments in the final.

With the World Cup less than a year away, Team India are yet to finalise the middle order batting slots and one expected that there will be answers in the Asia Cup. While the openers' form was a welcome sign for India, the lack of opportunities for the middle order could come back to haunt the side when they travel to England for the showpiece event next year.

Dinesh Karthik was given an extended run at No. 4 but he didn't exactly set the stage on fire. The Tamil Nadu batsman had a golden opportunity in the final to seal a spot in the middle order but as has been the case throughout his career, he couldn't capitalise on the start and threw his wicket away at the most inopportune time.

While Dinesh Karthik will still remain in selectors' radar, the other contender Manish Pandey, who didn't get much of an opportunity in the Asia Cup might run out of selectors' mind when the selectors sit to pick the squad for World Cup.

India's captain Virat Kohli, who is a regular No. 4 in Test cricket, prefers to bat at No 3 in ODIs. Yes, the old adage says that your best batsman should be out there for maximum balls as possible but looking at the current set up, it won't be a bad idea for Virat Kohli to bat at his Test position in 50-over cricket as well.

Here are a few reasons why that move might work for Men in Blue at the 2019 World Cup.

Openers can accelerate early

India v Ireland - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

When Virat Kohli starts batting at No. 4, the Indian middle order will look more solid and stable. This means openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma can go hard at the top and accelerate much earlier than they would normally do.

Both of them can be even more dangerous in ODIs when they are given the license to go after the bowling. A quick start would then help the likes of Kohli and Dhoni to guide the team through the middle overs and lay the platform for the final flourish.

Solidity in the middle order

3rd Momentum ODI: South Africa v India

After the new rules in ODIs were implemented, when there can be only 4 fielders outside the 30-yard circle, most matches are won or lost during this period. Successful teams in the recent past have had a middle order which is more steady and consistent during over nos. 11-40.

Virat Kohli can surely add the much-needed stability in the middle order and he is one player who has the game to up the ante whenever required. The Indian captain can be the perfect batsman who can set up the game for the Dhoni's and Pandya's to finish the innings on a high.

India's best player of spin bowling

England v India - 1st ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

Without an iota of doubt, Virat Kohli is the best player of spin bowling in the current team. He has the game to force the pace against spinners in the middle overs, especially while chasing a score.

He is one of the very few players who keeps rotating the strike even when boundaries aren't flowing and that makes the life of Dhoni much more easier as he too loves to run those quick singles and convert ones into twos.

Kohli at 4 and Dhoni at 5 could be the ideal batting pair for India in the middle overs leading up to the final 10 overs.