Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg feels that Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma can be an option for the Indian team at the crucial No.4 spot going into the World Cup in India in the absence of Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson in the India team.
Team India still hasn’t finalized their No.4 player for the marquee event in the country due to the injury to their key players. The number of players tried and tested in this position, gives an impression that the team has not sorted the crucial No.4 player for the team going into the Asia Cup 2023 as the team management is still sweating out on the availability of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul for the World Cup.
Speaking on his Instagram Channel, Brad Hogg said that India would go with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill at the top of the order and reckons that Sanju Samson can be a key player for the team in the middle-order as the team will be in need of wicketkeeper-batter in the absence of KL Rahul and asserted that Ishan Kishan predominantly bats at the top of the order as he struggles to score run lower down the order.
“If they go with Gill and Rohit Sharma at the top of the order with Sanju Samson at No. 4 as the Indian keeper going into that World Cup. I think he can offer something substantial in that position,”
“If they’re (Iyer and Rahul) not fit, we need a keeper in this team. I don’t think Ishan Kishan can bat lower down the order. I think he is predominantly an opener,” Brad Hogg shared his opinion.
If KL Rahul gets fit for the ODI World Cup, The toss will be between Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson for the second wicket-keeper spot in the team as the Left-handed batter has amassed 617 runs at a good average of 44.07 in 16 ODIs, including series-winning performance in the West Indies series, while Sanju Samson has done decent job finishing the matches for India in the 50-over format.
Tilak Varma Has Hardly Played Any One-day Cricket – Brad Hogg
In another combination, Brad Hogg said that Ishan Kishan can open the innings alongside the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma with young Tilak Varma coming into the bat at the NO.4 position but questioned about his batting in the 50-over format of the game as he did exceptionally well for India in the debut T20 series.
“If they open with Kishan and Rohit Sharma, I would have Tilak Varma coming in at No. 4. He has hardly played any one-day cricket. But the way he has operated in T20 cricket shows that he has got the goods for any situation,” Brad Hogg added.
It would be an interesting move by the Indian team management to include Tilak Varma for the Asia Cup 2023, as the team has got only Asia Cup and Australia series to finalize the squad for the ODI World Cup in India.