Veteran India opener Shikhar Dhawan has shared his opinion on which batter should be given the no.4 spot in the Indian batting lineup as they prepare for the World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue will play in the Asia Cup before the ICC event and also have three ODIs against Australia to finalize their lineup.
The slot has once again become a headache for the Indian side as it was a point of contention during the last edition of the World Cup in 2019 as well as creating unnecessary drama then.
This time the issue is injuries as the best contender for that spot, Shreyas Iyer has not recovered from his back surgery and is racing against time to get fit for the World Cup, while rehabbing at the NCA.
India has been trying Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson as its alternatives, but the two are yet to impress with the bat.
There have also been suggestions of blooding in young Tilak Varma at the spot after he impressed at no.4 in the ongoing T20I series against West Indies.
However, Shikhar Dhawan has opted to vote for Suryakumar Yadav to be backed for the no.4 spot.
"I would go with Surya at four as he is an experienced player and has been playing international cricket for a while.
Also, looking forward to seeing how Shubman Gill does in the World Cup. Another batter to watch out for will be Rohit Sharma as he did exceptionally well in the last World Cup," he said referring to Rohit's five hundreds in the 2019 edition,” Dhawan told PTI.
On India's chances in the World Cup, he added, "We have got a very good side which has the right blend of experience and youth. We will have the home advantage. We know the grounds and pitches and that is going to come in very handy."
Shikhar Dhawan is no longer in consideration for the Indian team as selectors have moved on given he was not picked for the Asian Games squad despite rumors suggesting he might lead the Men in Blue in the continental event.
