Veteran Indian cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has supported former head coach Ravi Shastri's suggestion that star batter Virat Kohli can end up batting at No. 4 if the team composition demands for it. Questions remain over the No. 4 batting position ahead of ICC World Cup 2023 with both KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer both recovering from injuries and Tilak Varma making a name for himself with brilliant knocks against West Indies. Ashwin said that apart from Kohli, India can end up playing a left-hander in the position or experiment with wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan.
“Virat Kohli batted at number 4 in that World Cup [2011]. In fact, Ravi Bhai has mentioned that, if necessary, Virat Kohli should bat at number 4. I think he mentioned that so that we can accommodate a left-hander," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“The only way that can happen is if KL Rahul doesn't get fit, and when they need a keeper, they can open with Ishan Kishan. That's the only possibility because Shreyas Iyer is one of the go-to players for Team India in ODIs as a batter," he added.
Earlier, Shastri recalled that he had a chat with former India chief selector MSK Prasad about the possibility of utilising Kohli at No. 4.
"If Virat has to bat at four, he will bat at four in the interest of the side. You know, there were times I thought of it. Even in the previous two World Cups, when I was coach in 2019, I thought I might have discussed that with MSK as well of him batting at four just to break that top heavy line up," Shastri said on Star Sports' Selection Day show.
"You know, because if we lost two or three at the top, we were gone and it was proved so just for reaching that the experience. And if you look at Virat Kohli's record, he is good enough at number four," the former India all-rounder added.