Last Update on: August 10th, 2023 at 06:50 pm
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Indian skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that finding a proper No.4 batter in ODIs has been a longtime issue for the side. He said that after Yuvraj Singh no one has come and made that position their home and injuries have played a huge part in that.
The search for a proper No.4 is still on for the Indian Cricket Team. However, this isn’t something that has been new but it has been troubling Indian teams for a long long time. Shreyas Iyer since the last few years played really well at that position and it was almost certain that the team has found a settled No. 4 batter.
Shreyas Iyer played some blistering knocks for the team and many times bailed the team out of trouble. But he faced a back injury and since February this year, he has been out of action, which gives a massive headache to the team with Asia Cup and World Cup around the corner.
India tested quite a few players in the recently concluded ODI series against West Indies but that didn’t work out as no one really looked good and failed to make contributions. Shreyas Iyer is on the verge of a comeback but the big question remains will he be able to regain his touch in a short time or not?
Rohit Sharma admitted that Shreyas Iyer performed really well at that position but injuries have given them a setback as it’s the same story as that of the last 4-5 years. He said (as quoted by PTI):
“Look, No. 4 has been an issue for us for a long time. After Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh), nobody has come and settled themselves in. But, for a long period of time, Shreyas (Iyer) has actually batted at No. 4 and he has done well — his numbers are really good.
“Unfortunately, injuries have given him a bit of trouble; he has been out for a while and that is honestly what has happened in the last 4-5 years. A lot of these guys have got injured and you will always see a new guy coming and playing there.”
Asia Cup 2023: The percentage of injuries that have happened in the last 4-5 years is massive – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma further went on to say that amount of injuries to players in key positions has hampered the team for a long time. He explained:
“The percentage of injuries that have happened in the last 4-5 years, it is massive. When the players get injured or are not available, you try doing different things with different players — that is what I have to say about No. 4.
“Even before, when I was not the captain, I was watching no? There were so many guys who came in and went out. But injuries kept them away or they were not available or someone lost form,” he concluded.