Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels that Indian team management has put rest to talks around playing Virat Kohli at the No.4 position for the team going into the ODI World Cup in India. There were talks around a change in India’s batting order going into the continental event to have a left-right combination at the top of the order.
Many suggested that Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli go one step down in the batting to bring Ishan Kishan to the top of the order. Many experts felt that this move could be an option for the team following Ishan’s brilliance in opening the batting for the Indian team in ODI cricket.
Speaking of India’s brilliant victory against Sri Lanka, Aakash Chopra feels that the Indian team think tank has addressed the Ravi Shastri question by playing him at the No. 3 position in the Asia Cup and reckons that there is no more decision regarding his playing position in the team and believes that Ishan Kishan will bat at the No.4 or 5 for India going into the mega event.
“There was a discussion before the start of the tournament, you would remember that Ravi bhai (Shastri) asked Virat Kohli to be sent at No. 4 because Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Rohit Sharma should be the top three.”
“A lot of people endorsed that as well. There won’t be a discussion about where Virat Kohli will play. If Ishan Kishan has to play, he will play at No. 4 or No. 5 only. He will not come up the order because Rohit, Shubman, and Kohli are your best top three, you shouldn’t touch them,” Aakash Chopra said.
In three innings in Asia Cup 2023, the right-handed batter has 129 runs scored at an average of 64.50 and the veteran would look to carry on his fine form going into the three-match series against Australia and thereby carrying into the ODI World Cup.
There Won’t Be A Discussion Again About Where Shubman Gill Will Play – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra believes that young Indian batter Shubman Gill has sealed his place at the top of the order in the Indian team and asserted that they won’t further discuss his place in the Indian team with the kind of performance he put up on the Asia Cup.
“I think MSK Prasad was saying that we can open with Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill can be made to bat down the order or be dropped. Shubman Gill said that he is here to stay. The century he hit and the way he batted, there won’t be a discussion again about where Shubman Gill will play,” Aakash Chopra added.
Shubman Gill is expected to open the innings alongside the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma in the ODI World Cup in India. In the 50-over format this year, the opening duo has been successful in the top of the order for India, giving the team strong starts at the start of the innings.
