Indian skipper Virat Kohli believes that he would soon sort out the conundrum going on with the No 4 batsman in the limited-overs format for quite a long time now. Ahead of the first ODI against West Indies on Sunday, the 29-year-old captain stated that if Ambati Rayudu cements his place at the crucial in the middle order, it will be a great relief to the team for the upcoming World Cup.
Kohli said the challenge was only to find someone for the No. 4 slot and with Rayudu stepping up for that position in recent times, the batting order looks more or less settled.
“The only position we were trying to figure out was number four for a long time. We tried many players who unfortunately could not capitalise or cement their places in a way we wanted,” Kohli said.
“With Rayudu coming in and playing well in the Asia Cup, it's about giving him enough game time till the World Cup so that the particular slot will be sorted for us,” he added.
On the back of a strong performance for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Rayudu, who scored 602 runs at an average of 43.00 and a strike-rate of 149.75, had earned a national call-up for the ODI leg of the England tour but was dropped after failing the 'Yo-Yo' test.
But he made a successful return to the Asia Cup in UAE last month and played an instrumental role in India's victorious campaign.
“The team felt there – and I also watched him – that he (Rayudu) is designed to play that middle order batsman's role. We feel that our middle-order is more or less balanced now,” Kohli said.
“We believe he is the right person to capitalise on that spot. He is experienced and has won many games for his state and also in the IPL. He has a great ODI record already for India. I think the batting order is sorted."
India are slated to play around 18-odd ODIs before the World Cup, including the five-match series against the West Indies, beginning at the Assam Cricket Association Barsapara Stadium here.
“Now these 18 games would be to find the perfect combination that we want to take into the World Cup,” Kohli said.
Batting at No. 3 in Kohli's absence, Rayudu amassed 175 runs, averaging 43.75 from six innings in the Asia Cup, virtually sealing his place for the experimental No. 4 slot.
“Barring injuries or niggles, we want one combination to play through and through. Apart from bowlers resting here and there in the ODIs, we only changed the No. 4 slot because we wanted someone to cement the place,” Kohli reasoned.