'The Best Player Must Bat...': Gavaskar Questions Kohli's Position Shift
Virat Kohli's batting position has been an intense topic of discussion
In light of recent debates surrounding the ideal batting position for Indian batter, Virat Kohli, former Indian cricket legend, Sunil Gavaskar has shared his perspective.
Sunil Gavaskar weighs in on Virat Kohli's batting position debate
With some experts suggesting that Kohli should be shifted down the order, Gavaskar has stressed on keeping him at No. 3, where the batting maestro has seen immense success in ODIs.
Gavaskar's opinion surfaces amid the backdrop of KL Rahul's injury and the underwhelming performances by middle-order batsmen such as Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson.
Some argue for Kohli's transition to No. 4 to bolster the middle order, especially given his decent track record in this position, having scored 1767 runs from 39 innings with an impressive average of 55.33 and a strike rate of 90.66.
Former India head coach, Ravi Shastri had previously indicated that in major tournaments, to avert top-order collapses, it might be wise to scatter the strong top three. He had even suggested that during his tenure as coach in the 2019 World Cup, there were considerations for Kohli to bat at No. 4. Shastri believed that Kohli would adjust if the team needed him to.
However, during an interaction with India Today, Gavaskar stated Kohli's track record at No. 3. Referring to the 34-year-old's success, Gavaskar highlighted the point that the best player should be given the chance to play as many overs as possible. He noted that Kohli's contribution from the No. 3 position - with around 44 centuries - speaks volumes about his suitability for that spot.
"The best player must bat the maximum number of overs and at number three he gets an opportunity to bat the maximum number of overs. So as far as I'm concerned, I think that's the place where he's been enormously successful. He's been, you know, he's contributed. How many? 44 hundreds in that position, Maybe 43, maybe one in another position. But, he's got so many hundreds in one day cricket batting at number three, why should they change that?" said Gavaskar.
While there have been arguments in favour of repositioning Kohli, Gavaskar's sentiment clearly leans towards keeping Kohli in a position where he has historically thrived.
It is worth mentioning that the last instance when Kohli batted at No. 4 was during the home series against Australia in 2020 where his recent scores from the position haven't been as prolific with just 62 runs in seven innings.
 "Jatin")
