In the aftermath of Rahul and Iyer’s injuries, India considers Kohli’s batting position for the Asia Cup

Videos of Rahul performing keeping exercises went viral a day after it was reported that both he and Iyer are doubtful for the Asia Cup due to their bodies not being prepared for the pressure of 50-over cricket. Fans are now more enthusiastic about Rahul’s comeback to the Indian squad after a lengthy injury layoff, albeit this does not imply he is fit to bat for 50 overs.

Rahul has not played in a competitive competition since sustaining a thigh injury in the IPL 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He even need surgery in London and has just lately started hitting in the nets. His greatest problem will be developing enough leg strength to endure the strain of keeping for 50 overs before allowing him to bat, or vice versa.

 

 

Rahul is critical to India’s preparations for the World Cup and Asia Cup. Despite his low runs in T20Is and Tests, he remains India’s favourite keeper-batter in ODIs. When batting at No. 5, he has some of the finest recent numbers. If he is not totally healthy, India would be in a tough scenario since they will need to find a keeper as well as a middle-order batsman.

 

 

Furthermore, Shreyas Iyer’s predicament is more concerning. The right-hander has fully recovered from a back injury that forced him to miss the IPL 2023. According to sources, he will almost probably be unable to attend the Asia Cup. If that is the case, his last chance to establish his World Cup preparedness will be a three-match home series against Australia.

 

Iyer has been India’s No. 4 ODI batsman for some time. He constantly outperforms in almost every situation, earning himself that position. In his absence, India’s long-standing problem of not having a solid No.4 will resurface.

 

The Indian team’s management is hoping for the best and prepared for the worse. If the three One-Day Internationals against the West Indies are any indication, skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid have already began to hunt for backups. In terms of personnel, Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson seem to be the front-runners. However, they may not be straight replacements in the starting XI.

 

SKY has had comparatively low success when batting in the first five spots in ODIs. The No. 6 place, where he batted in the last two One-Day Internationals in the West Indies, seems to be the greatest fit for him. In reality, he has not had the needed success in this format when batting at any number. In such circumstance, he cannot be replaced by Iyer or Rahul, the batter.

 

Samson has never had a solid run in any format, but his ODI numbers are impressive. And they’ve always occurred when I was hitting fourth or below. He may be Rahul’s answer, but Ishan Kishan has repeatedly emerged as the main candidate in Rahul’s absence in previous years.

 

If Rahul and Iyer are ruled out of the Asia Cup, India may elect to entirely rebuild their batting order. Kishan must start if he is to play. The statistics can back him up.

 

 

Gill batted at No. 3 or lower in domestic cricket and in the start of his career. If Virat Kohli is handed the task of batting at No. 3, he will have to relinquish that position. Because there is now no better ODI player in the world at No. 3 than Virat Kohli, that choice may be the most difficult in recent memory. 10777 of his 12898 ODI runs have come when batting at No. 3. He has 39 out of 46 ODI hundreds at that position.

 

But, as a team player, he understands the need of having a trustworthy No. 4 in case Iyer is unavailable. Asking Gill to bat at that position in big events like the Asia Cup and World Cup may not be the greatest plan. In that case, Kohli might lose his spot, with Hardik Pandya moving up to No. 5 and either Samson or SKY moving up to No. 6. If Rahul is fit, which looks to be the more probable situation, Hardik can bat at number six.

 

If India does not want to adjust Virat Kohli’s batting position, they must shift Hardik up to No. 4. He recently batted in the IPL’s top four and has also represented India. As planned, Rohit then makes his debut alongside Gill, pushing either Samson or SKY up to No. 6. However, Rahul must be in good health for this to happen. If not, Kishan becomes India’s first-choice keeper and would have to open unless Samson is given the gloves.