Notably, Shreyas Iyer has been India’s designated number 4 batter but the young Indian batter has been out of action for a while since suffering a back injury in March this year. Another contender for the number 4 spot, Rishabh Pant, has also been missing from action after suffering a car accident last year. 

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also recently spoke about the issues for the Men in Blue ahead of the all-important ODI World Cup starting in October. Sharma said, “Unfortunately, injuries have given him a bit of trouble; he (Shreyas Iyer) has been out for a while and that is honestly what has happened in the last 4-5 years. A lot of these guys have got injured and you will always see a new guy coming and playing there.”

Sourav Ganguly’s solution to India’s middle-order woes: 

Speaking on the sidelines of a Denver event, Ganguly said that there are a lot of Indian players who can take up the number 4 spot. He was quoted ANI as saying, “Who said we don’t have a No. 4? We have so many (batsmen) who can bat at that spot. I think differently; my mindset is different. This is a fantastic side,”

In particular, Ganguly was bullish about young left-handed batters like Tilak Varma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan. He said,”It has to be a team of experience and people who don’t have any scars — like (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, (Tilak) Varma, Ishan Kishan. They can go and play fearless cricket. Rahul (Dravid), Rohit and the selectors have plenty of choices; they just have to identify and pick the best XI,”

Ganguly also suggested that the Indian team should select a combination of young and experienced cricketers who don’t have any scars like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma who can go and play fearless cricket.

“Rahul (Dravid), Rohit and the selectors have plenty of choices; they just have to identify and pick the best XI,” Ganguly added.

Updated: 19 Aug 2023, 12:45 PM IST