There should be no fixed number four in Indian team, says Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev was the latest person to express his opinion surrounding the highly debated number four batting position for India ahead of the upcoming World Cup. A lot of candidates such as Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, among others have auditioned for the spot previously, but none have been able to completely make the spot their own. But Dev had a new perspective to offer with respect to the same.

"There's a lot of talk going on about No. 4 but you have to see the situation at that moment," said Kapil Dev, at a promotional event, reported ESPN Cricinfo.

The 1983 World Cup winning captain was of the opinion that cricket has changed, and batsmen don't have a fixed spot in the batting lineup, like they earlier used to. He recommended that different players can be played at the position, as per the requirements of the match.

"I don't think anybody these days have numbers [fixed positions in the line-up] - need of the hour is more important. You can send MS Dhoni, or anybody. No. 1 to 7 are all good enough to play there. One should not get confused. Play like you want to win the match and don't go by the number. It should depend on the situation of the match,” added the 60-year-old.

His teammate in the World Cup winning team, opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth was also present at the event, and he lauded the 21-year-old Pant, calling him a match winner. The former player singled out Pant’s innings in the fifth test against England at Oval, where he scored a scintillating knock of 114 on the fifth day of the test match.

"Rishabh Pant almost won a Test match from a no-win situation in England [The Oval Test, 2018]," Srikkanth said.

"You need to give him confidence. In my days, Kapil gave me that freedom. Like that Rishabh Pant should be given the freedom to play; he's capable of winning at least three matches single-handedly," he added.

Kapil also stated that Dhoni has set the standard very high for other wicket-keepers in the country. Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest finishers to have braced the game of cricket, and is also credited for having excellent match awareness. But, the 37-year-old is also lightning quick with his glove work, an aspect which Kapil also acknowledged.

"Dhoni has set the standard so high. They (other wicket-keeper batsmen) have the ability and talent. Only the execution over a period of time is needed and it won't happen overnight. Yes, they've done a couple of good performances but the standard is really high in today's team. They have a long way to go,” stated the former India all-rounder.

Since his debut, Dhoni has been rated highly as a batsman, and he proved that by scoring 10500 runs at an average exceeding 50, but he was criticised for his wicket-keeping. However, over time, he has put all his critics to rest as he has single-handedly changed the course of many matches, with his lightning quick stumpings and run-outs. Recognizing the fact, the former India coach was quick to term Dhoni as the all-rounder.

"It's very difficult to say. Is a batsman-bowler the only allrounder? You can now say even a wicketkeeper is an allrounder. The meaning of allrounder is changed. It's not just about a batsman who makes runs and takes wickets. Wicketkeeper should also be on this list. That way, Dhoni comes in very high. If you're good in two departments - any two departments - everyone will come under that if you include fielding,” he said.