CWC 2023: “Don’t want to disturb the top order,” Gavaskar reacts to Shastri’s idea of demoting Kohli

Virat Kohli has a brilliant record at the No.4 position in ODIs.

With less than 50 days left for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, experts are back with their opinions. Ravi Shastri, who was part of the World Cup-winning squad in 1983, recently opined that veteran campaigner Virat Kohli should demote himself in the batting order to solve India’s No. 4 conundrum.

Shastri, who served as Team India’s head coach from 2017 to 2021, also said that he wanted to use Kohli at No. 4 during the 2019 World Cup in England.

The former coach believes Kohli can excel at No. 4 as he used to bat in that position early in his career and also boast an impressive record.

Virat has a brilliant record at the No.4 position in ODIs, scoring 1767 runs in 42 matches at an average of 55.21 with seven hundreds.

Sharing his views on Shastri's idea, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar said the Indian team management can consider sending the former skipper to the spot. However, Gavaskar opposed the idea of ‘disrupting’ the current top-order.

“(On batting order) Any team has to be flexible…but I don’t want to disturb the top order. I don’t think Rohit Sharma should be looking to bat down the order. Yes, you can look at having Kohli at No. 4, particularly, if a wicket falls early because the new ball can do some early damage,” Gavaskar told India Today.

Gavaskar also highlighted India's batting failure in the first 10-12 overs which has led to some painful defeats in knockout games of ICC tournaments.

“Every time India has lost, I think it’s that the fact the new ball in the first 10-12 overs, India have lost three or four wickets, and both wickets out of these wickets have been Sharma and Kohli, who’ve been the victims, so it’s difficult. Maybe, look at it depending on the situation,” he added.

Addressing a media conference on Monday (August 21), India skipper Rohit said he and Kohli can operate as part-time bowlers in the upcoming Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup.

When asked about Rohit and Kohli’s bowling, Gavaskar remarked: “If they had been bowling quite regularly, yes, it could be good, but when you look at the successful teams in limited-overs cricket that have gone on to win championships.For India, you’ll find there have been full of all-rounders, batters who can bowl and bowlers down the order who’ve contributed when they get to bat about six or seven overs, they’ve contributed good runs.”