Virat Kohli 2019 World Cup Batting Position: Cheteshwar Pujara suggests perfect batting number for Kohli | India’s Test batsman on ODI captain.
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Premier India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara believes that India captain Virat Kohli should not bat at No. 4 in the imminent ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Speaking in a video posted by Rooter App, Pujara was vocal about the Indian skipper.
Virat Kohli 2019 World Cup Batting Position
“I feel Virat [Kohli] has had more success at No. 3 than at No. 4. Don’t think we should try and experiment with that. He has scored heaps of runs at No. 3 in ODIs. I think he will stick to No. 3 [during the World Cup],” Pujara was quoted as saying.
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Out of his 227 ODIs, Kohli has played 167 at No. 3. In the same number of matches, he has scored 8,743 runs at an average of 63.35 and a strike rate of 94.14 including 34 centuries and 39 half-centuries. In 41 ODI at No. 4, Kohli has scored 1,751 runs at an average of 56.48 and a strike rate of 90.49 including seven centuries and eight half-centuries.
Pujara on India’s No. 4
Speaking on India’s much-discussed No. 4 for the World Cup, Pujara spoke experimenting too much with such a crucial position. “As far as No. 4 in concerned, we should test the same during the warm-up matches.
“Having said that, I don’t think there is much need to experiment a lot with the same. Whosoever is being thought at No. 4 should given the opportunity during the warm-up matches,” Pujara said.
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Set to fly to England tomorrow, Indian team will play a couple of warm-up matches – vs New Zealand on May 25 and vs Bangladesh on May 28. Highlighting the importance of the same, Pujara considered the matches to be “very good” opportunity for the Indian team.
“It [warm-up matches] is a very good opportunity for the Indian team to start well. The bowlers will get an idea with respect to what line and lengths to bowl. While India can afford to experiment with their bowlers, they shouldn’t do the same in the batting department,” Pujara added.