If Virat Kohli has to bat at number four, he will definitely do it for the team, says MSK Prasad

If Virat Kohli has to bat at number four, he will definitely do it for the team, says MSK Prasad

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MSK Prasad has supported Ravi Shastri's idea of batting Virat Kohli at number four in the World Cup if that is what the team requires during the mega-event. Ravi Shastri had earlier said that if Ambati Rayudu can bat at number three which made the batting order stable, then he is ready to do it.

The Indian cricket team have been in top form since the start of 2019 after beating Australia and New Zealand in consecutive ODI series, and that too, away from home in the foreign territory. Virat Kohli & Co. have been terrific with the ball and with the bat to assert their dominance in international cricket.

Much of that credit lies on the shoulder of Indian coach, Ravi Shastri, who has helped develop the Indian team into a group of players who are desperate for a win every time they enter the pitch. Shastri has made some important decisions as far as the team line-up is concerned and one of the recent decisions that has garnered much attention was the idea of Kohli batting at number four instead of three. Chief selector MSK Prasad has welcomed Shastri’s decision is open to the idea of Kohli batting at four if that benefits the team as a whole.

"I think it is a wonderful thought that Virat Kohli can bat at No.4 and that is what Ravi Shastri has expressed. This has been happening for quite some time, but we will have to see. Because Virat has done extremely well at No.3. He is the No.1 batsman in the world. But if it is for the requirement of the team and Virat has to come at No.4 he will definitely do it. But again, we will have to see what the team requires and what the dynamics of the team is. That will decide his batting position," Prasad said in a recent interview on Hotstar. 

The Indian captain has a total of 10,533 ODI runs at an average of 59.50 which includes 39 centuries in a career that spans close to 11 years. After trying him out at seven different batting position, Kohli finally settled for the number three spot since 2011 and has scored 32 centuries while batting at the position. At number four, Kohli has scored 1744 runs in 23 innings at an average of 58.13 which includes seven centuries.

Earlier, India coach, Ravi Shastri had mentioned that someone like Ambati Rayudu can bat at number three which made the Indian batting order much more solid at the top.

"The good thing about this Indian top-three is we can separate them if conditions and situations demand. Someone like Virat Kohli can go to number four, and we can put a good number three to bring more balance to the batting line-up. That's flexibility for you, and for big tournaments like the World Cup, you have to be flexible to see what's the best balance for the side. So we will decide that (accordingly in England).

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