Who will bat at No.4 for India in IND vs WI ODIs? Exploring possibilities
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IND vs WI ODI series is set to begin on September 27.
India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup are slowly taking shape, with the team now looking to get a clearer idea of their best batting combination. The upcoming series against West Indies will give several players another chance to confirm their spot.
Shubman Gill will be leading the Indian side in the three-match ODI series against West Indies. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are part of the squad, while players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad will also be looking for opportunities.
With a mix of experienced batters and younger options, India have plenty of choices in the batting order. The team management will have to decide how to fit everyone into the playing XI.
Shreyas Iyer will miss the IND vs WI ODI series due to his Asian Games commitments, leaving India with an open spot in the middle order. Here are the players who could be considered for the role.
Players who could bat at No.4 for India in IND vs WI ODIs
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4. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad is one of the main options to bat at No. 4. The right-handed batter usually opens, but India have already used him in the middle order.
Gaikwad batted at No. 4 against South Africa and made the most of the opportunity by scoring his maiden ODI century in Raipur. His ability to play both pace and spin and rotate the strike could make him a good fit for the position. With Gaikwad back in the ODI squad, India could look at him again at No. 4.
3. KL Rahul
KL Rahul is another experienced option for the vacant position. He has batted at different positions for India and has also played in the middle order in ODIs.
Rahul can give India some stability if an early wicket falls. At the same time, he can increase the scoring rate once he gets settled. His wicketkeeping ability also gives the team more flexibility. If India decide to use Rahul as a batter at No. 4, Dhruv Jurel could be considered as the wicketkeeper.
2. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill could also be moved down the order if India decide to try a different batting combination. The Indian captain has mostly opened in ODIs, making No. 4 a different role for him.
Moving Gill down could allow Yashasvi Jaiswal to open alongside Rohit Sharma. Jaiswal is back in the ODI squad and will be looking for more chances after spending time away from the team.
Gill has previously moved down the order when India needed to fit another opener into the XI. However, moving him to No. 4 would still be a big change.
1. Dhruv Jurel
Dhruv Jurel is another option India could look at in the middle order. The wicketkeeper-batter is yet to make his ODI debut but has been included in the squad for the West Indies series.
Jurel has already played Tests and T20Is for India and has shown that he can handle pressure. His wicketkeeping skills could also be useful if Rahul is picked mainly as a batter.
Giving Jurel the No. 4 role would be a new experiment, but the West Indies series could give India a chance to test him in the ODI setup.
Who will bat at No. 4 for India in the IND vs WI ODIs?
India have several options for the No. 4 spot, including Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel.
Why is Shreyas Iyer not playing the IND vs WI ODI series?
Shreyas Iyer is unavailable for the IND vs WI ODI series due to his Asian Games commitments.
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