Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'If they open with Kishan, Rohit, I would have...': Hogg explains how India can solve their no. 4 conundrum in World Cup
Former Australia cricketer Brad Hogg explained how India can solve their no. 4 conundrum in the upcoming ODI World Cup.
With the 2023 ODI World Cup set to be held from October 5-November 19 this year, hosts India will be looking to win their first ICC title since 2013, when they won the Champions Trophy in that year. But going into the World Cup, the Indian team management will need to solve their no. 4 conundrum, something which has proved costly for them in recent times.
Rahul Dravid and his management have tried plenty of players in the role, including the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul. But former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg feels that India can try out Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson in that position in the World Cup.
Also Read | PCB appoints sports psychologist Maqbool Babri for Asia Cup
Speaking on Instagram, "If they're (Iyer and Rahul) not fit, we need a keeper in this team. I don't think Ishan Kishan can bat lower down the order. I think he is predominantly an opener."
"If they open with Kishan and Rohit Sharma, I would have Tilak Varma coming in at No. 4. He has hardly played any one-day cricket. But the way he has operated in T20 cricket shows that he has got the goods for any situation," he added.
Varma has never featured for India in ODIs, and has played in five T20Is, where he has registered 173 runs with an average of 57.67 and 140.65 strike rate. In his T20I career, he has also registered a fifty.
Meanwhile, Hogg also feels that if India don't use Kishan as an opener, then they can try Samson in the wicketkeeper role. "If they go with Gill and Rohit Sharma at the top of the order with Sanju Samson at No. 4 as the Indian keeper going into that World Cup. I think he can offer something substantial in that position", he said.
Samson has featured in 13 matches, slamming 390 runs at an average of 55.71 and 104.0 strike rate. He has also registered three half-centuries in ODIs.
