'Virat's batting position...' - Ravi Shastri analyzes major reason behind India's failure in ODI World Cup 2019

Ravi Shastri (Source: Twitter)

In the world of cricket, the role of a captain is crucial. The captain's decision-making skills can make or break a team's performance. One such decision that caught the attention of cricket enthusiasts was Ravi Shastri considering Virat Kohli for the number four spot during the 2019 ODI World Cup.

Former Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri recently discussed this choice in an interview. He disclosed that they had thought about moving Kohli to the number four spot to improve their batting order. This action would have made room for other outstanding batters to assume control of the top order.

Ravi Shastri stated in an interview that “Virat will bat at four if necessary for the team's benefit. You know, there were moments when I considered it. Even during the previous two World Cups, I believed that I may have brought up the idea of Virat batting in position four in order to break that top-heavy lineup with MSK when I was the head coach in 2019.

"You know, it was proven that if we lost two or three at the top, we were finished. Just for that encounter... Virat Kohli is a capable fourth option based on his track record”, he added. 

Moving Virat Kohli's batting order will boost the team's batting depth.

The 34-year-old has played in 275 ODI matches overall, scoring 12898 runs at an average of 57.32, with 46 centuries and 65 fifty-pluses.

In 42 one-day games, Kohli batted at position No. 4, amassing 1767 runs at an average of 55.21 and seven hundreds. At the batting position, he reached a best of 139* against Sri Lanka in Ranchi in November 2014. 

In the 2019 World Cup, Kohli batted from position No. 3, which is normal for him. With 443 runs scored in nine innings at an average of 55.38 and a strike rate of 94.06, he had a strong tournament. India, on the other hand, was unable to advance further in the competition after struggling in the semifinals.