“Kohli has become a scapegoat,” Sanjay Manjrekar shuts down Ravi Shastri on his Virat Kohli at No. 4 suggestions

As the ODI World Cup 2023 approaches, Team India struggles with a long-standing dilemma – the enigmatical No. 4 spot in their batting order.

“Kohli has become a scapegoat,” Sanjay Manjrekar shuts down Ravi Shastri on his Virat Kohli at No. 4 suggestions

Virat Kohli (via OTV News)

As the ODI World Cup 2023 approaches, Team India struggles with a long-standing dilemma – the enigmatical No. 4 spot in their batting order. Former head coach Ravi Shastri has brought back the debate regarding whether or not batting master Virat Kohli might consider stepping down to number four.

In discussions leading up to the 2019 World Cup, Shastri recommended that Virat Kohli bat at number four to strengthen the middle order. However, this proposal has not received majority of support. Critics, such as former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, argued that Kohli is too valuable at the third position, where he has an outstanding record.

YouTube video

Manjrekar, echoing the opinions of many, believes that Kohli should not be held accountable for India’s middle-order struggles. He insists that tampering with Kohli’s exceptional performance at number three wouldn’t be a wise move. Instead, he suggests placing young talents such as Ishan Kishan at the top of the line up.

As India practices for the Asia Cup and the World Cup, the team’s decision-makers must consider the pros and cons of such a move, keeping in light of Kohli’s extraordinary batting abilities and the team’s overall balance.

Related: “Secretly prayed for KL to smash it,”  Venkatesh Prasad visits Temple in New Jersey with Suniel Shetty, fans start cracking jokes 

Ravi Shastri’s suggestion of playing Virat Kohli at No.4 shot down by Sanjay Manjrekar

During the 2019 ODI World Cup, Ravi Shastri claimed that he preferred Kohli bat in the middle of the order.
Sanjay Manjrekar ( Image via Cricket Addictor)

Sanjay Manjrekar recalled the controversial 2007 World Cup campaign under coach Greg Chappell and skipper Rahul Dravid, when India played Sachin Tendulkar at No.4 as their middle-order cornerstone.

”The more you talk about Ishan Kishan, the less Virat Kohli appears to matter. He has become the scapegoat since batting him at No.4 solves all your issues. Culture is another difficulty with Indian cricket. Because Virender Sehwag and others were at the top of the order, Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell placed Tendulkar at No.4 instead of beginning in the 2007 World Cup,” Manjrekar said to Star Sports.

In case you missed :