I think Shreyas Iyer has done enough to settle the No.4 debate: Vikram Rathour

The Indian team has struggled to find a suitable no.4 in ODIs for quite some time now. After Virat Kohli took over the captaincy of the ODI and T20I team, the Indian hasn’t had a fixed no.4 batsman. Several batsmen have been tried. Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav and KL Rahul, all have tried their hand at the position.

But, Kohli has maintained that he wants his middle-order to be flexible. However, after the World Cup, there has been some consistency seen with the no.4 position. Shreyas Iyer has been given regular chances at that spot and he seems to have locked that position.

I think we have enough potential to stop looking outside: Vikram Rathour

In a recent interaction, Indian national team head coach, Vikram Rathour has confirmed that Iyer has done enough to cement his place at that position. However, he also took the names of Manish Pandey and KL Rahul who have done well in the middle-order.

“As far as I am concerned, I think it is. I think Shreyas has done enough to settle the debate. In T20 cricket, again Manish Pandey, wherever he gets an opportunity, he has done well. And KL is batting in the middle order in the one-dayer. So, yes, I think we have enough potential to stop looking outside. I think we have whatever we need in the squad now,” Rathour said during an interview with Sportskeeda.

The last year has been an uncertain journey for KL Rahul. He was positioned to bat at no.4 in the World Cup but he had to start opening the innings as Shikhar Dhawan was injured. After the tournament, he has batted at several positions, but his recent place at no.5 has proved to be fruitful for him. The right-handed batsman from Karnataka played some really good knocks against New Zealand and Australia at no.5.

As far as Pandey is concerned, he played some crucial knocks during the T20s in New Zealand. This seems to have to help him to gain some confidence of the batting coach at least. And Iyer has fixed his spot at no.4 with some runs. He has scored 398 runs in eight innings with a hundred and four fifties.