Rishabh Pant in white-ball cricket (Source: AFP)
Shreyas Iyer has suffered a major rib injury during the third ODI against Australia. It has been reported that he has internal bleeding and is in the ICU currently. Thus, it has put his participation in the ODI series against South Africa in doubt.
The series is still a month away, but it seems pretty difficult for him to be completely fit for the series till then. Thus, India would have to look at the options who can take its important number four position in the three-match ODI series.
Tilak Varma
If Shreyas Iyer is not available, Tilak Varma is likely to be the front-runner to take his position in the ODI XI. The batter has shown his mettle in the shortest format in difficult situations and has the ability to mould his game according to the demands of the match.
Also, Tilak has a list A average of 45.69 and according to chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, the left-handed batter was pretty close to getting selected for the Australian tour. Thus, given the different gears in his batting, Tilak Varma looks like an ideal replacement for Shreyas Iyer at number four.
Rishabh Pant
The superstar Indian wicketkeeper-batter is already an established star in Test cricket. However, in white-ball formats, he is yet to find his mojo. He is out of the T20I setup currently, but has been part of the ODI squad as a second wicketkeeper.
Now, if Shreyas Iyer is not fit and Pant shows his fitness in the Test series, he could get a go at number four in ODIs as well. Batting at number four would give him more time to settle, and he can then accelerate once he gains confidence. Pant's power-hitting makes him an ideal candidate at number four, as just like Iyer, he can take the game away from the opposition.
Riyan Parag
Riyan Parag is another strong candidate to take Shreyas Iyer's number four position in ODIs. He has been very consistent in domestic cricket for Assam and recently scored a fifty in all three matches for India A against Australia A.
Parag also has a power game in his arsenal and has all the shots in his book, which makes him a dangerous player if he gets going. Along with his batting, he is a handy bowler as well, and his all-round skills might give him an edge over other competitors. He also played an ODI for India in 2024, where he picked three wickets and could make his comeback again.
Sai Sudharsan
Sai Sudharsan is another emerging batter who might be fitted into the India XI if Shreyas Iyer misses out. The southpaw from Tamil Nadu is slowly sealing the number 3 place in the Indian Test squad and has an ideal game for the 50-over format.
It shows in his domestic performance as well. He has been most consistent in List A cricket and has an average of 60.69 in the format. Sudharsan has also hit two fifties in the three ODIs he has played for India and thus could make his way back into the team once again.
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