Former Indian Cricketer Says THIS Player Owns the Number 4 Spot

The Indian team has made some changes in its ODI squad lately. And these changes have mainly been on the batting side, where two injured players mark their return. Amidst this, a former Indian cricketer has dropped a bombshell by telling which player suits more at the number four spot.

1. Aakash Chopra Gives Big Statement

In a video, he said, “Ruturaj Gaikwad plays out of position and scores a ton but still can’t find a place in the 15-man squad. But why? Because Shreyas Iyer has returned and it makes sense because he is the vice-captain of the Indian team. No one has played better at No.4 than him in the last 2-3 years. It is obvious. But the big question is when Ruturaj Gaikwad was played at No.4, was it not an opportunity to slot Rishabh Pant in that position? Rishabh Pant is not being dropped and he is your backup keeper. With KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the side, Pant will anyway struggle to find a spot. Pant didn’t play in the Champions Trophy and in the previous ODI series either. There was an opportunity in the previous series but you didn’t give him a chance.”

He even questioned picking Rishabh Pant to the team. Pant has not played even a single ODI match for the Indian team since 2024. He was not also a part of the team for Champions Trophy, but has now made his way back to the ODI side. The question still prevails whether he will be seen in the playing XI or not.

2. Shreyas Iyer's Comeback

Shreyas Iyer suffered a major injury during the India tour of Australia. In the second ODI, he fell down while taking a catch and ended up having internal injuries. Spending a few days in Sydney, he was eventually discharged and spent the next few weeks recovering. As a result, he did miss out on the ODI series against South Africa.

• Innings: 9
• Not Out: 0
• Runs: 611
• Average: 67.88
• Strike Rate: 97.38
• 100s: 2
• 50s: 4

But now, he will be playing for the Indian team in the ODI series against New Zealand. It should also be noted that his availability is subject to the clearance by the BCCI CoE. If he gets cleared, it will be a comeback time for Sarpanch Saab in the international matches.

Rishabh Pant played his last ODI match in the series against Sri Lanka in 2024. During the third ODI, he was a part of the playing XI, and since then, he has not been in the team's ODI side. India was chasing down the target of 249 runs in the game, as Pant was able to take a catch.

But with the bat, he was not able to do well for the team. Pant ended up scoring just 6 runs off 9 balls before losing his wicket to Maheesh Theekshana. It was not an outing which Pant expected, as he came in place of KL Rahul during the third ODI.