Rajathan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane who has been quite candid about his concerns over him not getting enough chances for the 'Men in Blue' in the limited overs format doesn’t want to apply too much pressure thinking about the No. 4 slot which still is very much open in the Indian team.
With some major contenders like Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul and Aambati Rayadu posing a serious challenge for the coveted No.4 batting slot in the Indian batting order for the upcoming ICC World Cup, Rahane could possibly miss the ticket to London but still has the hunger to add to his 90 ODI appearances for team India.
“I have never had complaints about my batting order and have performed anywhere I have batted. I don’t want to put any pressure on myself by thinking about the No 4 spot in the Indian team. I understand that batting order depends on lot of things. For India, I am ready to bat at any position,” Rahane said during a media conference organised by Rajasthan Royals.
The Rajasthan Royals skipper is happy that Steve Smith is back in the Royals’ fold and he can pick his brains on tactical matters. “It’s good to have him (Smith) back as a Rajasthan Royals player. He is a quality player and it’s always good to have him in your team. Also to pick his mind will be very important. We all know his ability to win matches,” Rahane said of former Australian captain.
Asked about Jos Buttler’s batting position, Rahane made it clear that he is not too keen on tinkering with a set playing XI. He also urged media to go slow on new batting sensation Ashton Turner, who singlehandedly won a recent ODI against India. “Turner is a good addition to the team but media makes a hero of anyone in a single day but dumps him the next day. He has shown his ability on Indian wickets which shows he can adapt to conditions.”