Asia Cup 2023: Sourav Ganguly Reveals Who Will Be India's Number 4 In Asia Cup And ICC World Cup 2023

Former India skipper, Sourav Ganguly spoke up on who should play at number four in the batting lineup for the India squad, the 51-year-old said that it is just a number and anyone can settle at that position.

While speaking at an event in Mumbai, Sourav Ganguly said that nobody is born to play as an opener at some other position.

Ganguly talked about his own experience and said that in the 50-over format, he was once asked to open when Sachin Tendulkar was the skipper. He also said that even Tendulkar played at number six.

“No. 4 is just a number, anyone can fit in,” Ganguly said at an event in Mumbai. “I really don’t think that anybody is born as an opener or No. 3 or No. 4. I had started in the middle order in one-day cricket and was asked to open when Sachin [Tendulkar] was the captain. Sachin also started at No. 6; when he opened, he became a world-class player,” Sourav Ganguly said.

The 51-year-old feels that India have too many options at number four and said that all three batsmen, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul can play at number four. Sourav Ganguly said that the team management needs to decide their number four and continue till the ODI World Cup 2023.

“So anybody can play at No. 4. There’s Virat Kohli for No. 4; there’s Shreyas Iyer once he does well at the Asia Cup; there’s KL Rahul. India has enormous talent. I keep getting asked that we don’t have this, we don’t have that, but I think we have too much; that’s the problem. I think for No. 4 what Rahul [Dravid], Rohit [Sharma], and the selectors need to do is decide that this is my No. 4 and continue with him till the World Cup,” the former BCCI president said.

All you need to do is decide and let them play: Sourav Ganguly

The former India skipper said that you don’t win World Cup with number four and one slot in the batting lineup doesn’t make much difference.

“One batting slot doesn’t make so much of a difference because you don’t win a World Cup just with No. 4. There’s no hard and fast rule that you need someone at No. 4, all you need to do is decide and let them play [at that position],” Sourav Ganguly further added.

Rohit Sharma-led India will start their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against their arch-rivals, Pakistan on Saturday (September 2nd) at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka.