Former captain Sourav Ganguly feels that India should not worry much about the number 4 conundrum as they have quality players who can fill up the place easily. The number 4 position has been a worry for India for a long time which skipper Rohit Sharma also admitted recently. However, the return of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul might solve the problem for India in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023.
Ganguly suggested that one batting position alone will not make much difference in terms of India’s chances in the World Cup.
The former BCCI president advised coach Rahul Dravid, selectors and captain Rohit Sharma to give someone responsibility and give him a long rope at the No 4 slot.
“India has enormous talent. I keep hearing about this…we don’t have this or that but we have too much and that is the problem that we cannot decide.
“The No 4…Rahul (Dravid), selectors and Rohit (Sharma) need to decide that ‘this is my No 4 and I will continue with him’. One batting slot does not make much of a difference,” Ganguly told the media here while being appointed as the brand ambassador of the real estate company Casagrand.
Ganguly suggested that India have several players who can be fitted in the position as he recalled he himself and legendary Sachin Tendulkar have shuffled their batting position to help the team.
“Number four is just a number and anybody can fit in. I started in the middle-order in one-day cricket and went on to open because I was asked to by Sachin (Tendulkar) as captain. It is the same with Sachin. He batted at six and his captain asked him to open and he became a world-class player. Anybody can play at No 4. There’s Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul,” said Ganguly.
Promising left-hander Tilak Varma, who impressed all during the T20I series against West Indies recently, on Monday was included in India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2023.
It was his maiden entry into India’s ODI set-up. Ganguly hoped that the young batsman will make the opportunity count with big runs.
“He is good but I think when you play big tournaments, you need a bit more runs under the belt,” he said.
The legendary captain asserted that he would alwasy pick wrist spinners in the squad and said Yuzvendra Chahal will always gets a place in his team.
“We have a very good bowling attack… (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Siraj, (Mohammed) Shami, (Ravindra) Jadeja will play the all-rounder’s role and then you have the wrist spinners.
“I will always pick (Yuzvendra) Chahal, I will always pick wrist spinners. I do not know what the selectors think but I will always pick wrist spinners,” he said.
However, Chahal was not picked in India’s Asia Cup squad but left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav found a place in the Sri Lanka-bound unit.
Ganguly backed India to come good in the Asia Cup and in the subsequent World Cup.
“It’s a solid team, I keep saying that, (but) I keep hearing “yaar solid solid bolte ho, World Cup jeet ta hi nahi hai, aise thodi World Cup har samay jeetega yaar. (you say it is a solid team but does not win the World Cup. You cannot win the World Cup every time),” he said.
Ganguly said that he has faith in the current Indian team and said it has all the potential to at least reach the semifinals.
“I am sure they will at least get to the semifinals (of WC). They entered the Test championship final, which itself is an achievement. Once they get there, they’ll cross the bridge.
So, I have a lot of time for this team, a lot of faith in this team and hopefully from the Asia Cup we will see a side which will go all the way (against) Australia and then the World Cup,” he added.
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