Don't Think it is Right to Bat Virat Kohli at Number Four - Sourav Ganguly

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly believes it would not be a good idea to bat Virat Kohli at the number four position. The Indian captain has achieved great success while batting at one down and Ganguly feels it is not a prudent decision to demote Virat Kohli’s batting position.

Meanwhile, India’s head coach Ravi Shastri had recently said that Kohli can bat at number four position according to match situations and conditions. Subsequently, Ambati Rayudu can get a promotion in the batting order.

Kohli is going to be crucial to India’s chances.

“Virat Kohli will be coming back in the series to play at No.3. I was reading in the papers that Ravi [Shastri] wants him to play at No.4 but I don’t know who will play at No.3 then. Maybe Ambati Rayudu will play at No.3 with Kohli at No.4 but I don’t think that it is the right move because Kohli at No.3 is a huge player and this is India’s strength in ODIs — Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli,” Ganguly said in IndiaTV’s show Cricket ki Baat on Sunday.

However, Sourav Ganguly doesn’t agree with the current Indian coach. The Prince of Kolkata believes India’s strength lies in the top three batsmen, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli. These three batsmen have done the bulk of the scoring and have been instrumental in the success of the team.

On the other hand, Ravi Shastri had mulled to bat Kohli at number four according to conditions.

Shastri had backed Kohli to bat at number four.

“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),” Shastri said.

Virat Kohli is going to hold the key in the upcoming World Cup. Kohli is the best and the most consistent batsman in the world. The talisman batter has achieved great success while batting at number three position. Kohli can hit the ground running and there aren’t any chunks in his armor.

The Indian skipper will like to be at the top of his game and bring his best to the table in the ODI showpiece. Kohli is India’s best batsman and his batting is going to be directly proportional to the success of the team. Consequently, it would be interesting to note where Kohli will bat according to the conditions and situations of a particular match.