Due to their mutual combative personalities and dislike of losing games, Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli made a fantastic coach-captain pairing. During their stay, India developed into a formidable Test side away from home thanks to their never-say-die attitude, which they passed on to the other players. The Indian squad, led by Shastri, was defeated by New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup semifinals.
The winner of the 1983 World Cup recently revealed in an interview that he had considered opting to bat then-captain Virat at No. 4 in the 2019 World Cup to offer more depth to the middle order as opposed to making the squad top-heavy. Shastri worried that India might be in serious trouble if they lost two or three wickets early. In the semifinals, the Kiwi pacers caused chaos and exactly that is what happened. Kohli’s statistics while batting at No. 4 are remarkable, the former coach added.
“Virat will bat at four if necessary to advance the team’s cause. You know, there were moments when I considered it. On Star Sports’ Selection Day show, Ravi Shastri remarked, “Even in the previous two World Cups, I thought I might have discussed that with MSK [Prasad, chief selector] as well of him batting at four just to break that top-heavy order.
“You know, because if we lost two or three up there, we were done. It was proven as much just for attaining that experience. Virat Kohli is a capable fourth option based on his track record, according to Ravi Shastri.
The statistics of Virat Kohli at No. 4 in batting
With the number of runs he has scored and matches he has won in ODI cricket, Kohli has nearly come to be considered synonymous with the No. 3 position over the years. The Delhi batsman, though, has been able to establish himself on 39 occasions when he has batted at No. 4. With a 55.21 batting average and a 90.66 strike rate when batting at No. 4, the 34-year-old has scored 1767 runs. In his time at this position, Kohli has also scored seven centuries and eight half-centuries.
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