Should Virat Kohli Bat At Number 4 In World Cup 2023?

image-llf54s5tVirat Kohli will be a key player for India in World Cup 2023

The stage is set for World Cup 2023 and the whole cricketing world seems to be busy in ironing out its flaws before the marquee event. The discussion and debates around the Indian cricket team selection is also intensifying and the same number 4 conundrum that haunted India in the 2019 World Cup is taking centrestage again.

Shreyas Iyer, who was looked as India's number 4 in World Cup some months back, is currently injured and his fitness remains a big concern. In his absence, the names of Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and even KL Rahul has popped up but Ravi Shastri, the former Indian coach has come up with an interesting suggestion of playing Kohli at number 4 given his experience and ability to mould his game in varied situations.

However, is it the right time to take such a drastic stage with less than 50 days to go for the World Cup? Let's try to analyze the pros and cons of such a decision.

Virat Kohli Stats At Number 3 vs Number 4?

Virat Kohli is one of the legends of the game and is arguably the best number 3 batter ever to play ODIs. His numbers are staggering at number 3 and has scored 10777 runs at that important position, making him one of the greatest match-winners for India. He has batted in  210 innings at number 3 and has scored runs at an average of 60.21 with 39 hundreds.

Batting position
Innings
Runs
Average
Hundreds
At Number 3 Position
210
1077760.2139
At Number 4 Position39176755.227

However, Kohli's stats at number 4 are not bad either. In the 39 innings he has batted at number 4 for India, he has scored 1767 runs at an average of 55.22 with seven hundreds. In India's victorious 2011 World Cup campaign too, Kohli batted at 4.

Looking at these stats, it is fair to say that Kohli has been brilliant in ODIs, no matter where he batted. However, it could be a big gamble to make him bat at 4 when he seems settled at number 3 for over a decade now and it could backfire in crunch situations.

What are the options for number 3, if Kohli bats at 4?

If Kohli does bat at number 4, it is important to find a quality option at number 3 which is also a pretty tough task. India can opt for Gill at number 3 and Ishan Kishan can open alongside Rohit Sharma. Ishan has been in good form at the top of the order recently and his combination with Rohit also gives India a left hand-right hand combination at the top.

Another option is of KL Rahul at 3, if he gets fit in time as Rahul is naturally an opener and has batted at 3 in the past. Rohit or Ishan Kishan can also bat at 3 but it is highly unlikely that the captain will demote himself after such a successful record as an opener. Kishan, on the other hand, seems to struggle a bit in the middle overs and it would be apt to slot him as an opener if Kohli is batting at number 4.

Conclusion

Virat Kohli has scored truckloads of runs at number 3 and it would not be a wise decision to change his batting position with such an important event around the corner. It can cause instability in the batting order, and role clarity which is an essential component of any successful team, can go off the roof.

India should stay with Kohli at number 3 and instead concentrate their energies on finding a suitable number 4, if Shreyas Iyer does not get fit in time. The home World Cup is in sights and the Indian management should subscribe themselves with the old saying - "you don't fix something if it isn't broken."