AB de Villiers, a close friend of Virat Kohli, has given his opinion on whether the latter should bat at No.4 for India in One-Day Internationals.
There has been much debate since former India head coach Ravi Shastri raised the notion of allowing Virat Kohli to bat at No.4 instead of his favoured No.3 during the Asia Cup and World Cup. While many former Indian cricketers, notably Gautam Gambhir, have expressed opposition to the idea, it has gotten considerable support from none other than AB de Villiers. The renowned South African cricketer, who shared the Royal Challengers Bangalore dressing room with Kohli for over a decade, termed himself a “big supporter” of Kohli batting at No.4 in ODIs.
“We’re still debating who India’s No. 4 batter will be.” I’ve heard rumors that Virat (Kohli) might take over. “That is something I would strongly support,” de Villiers remarked on his YouTube channel AB de Villiers 360.
De Villiers acknowledged that Kohli may not want to leave the No.3 spot because of the success he has had there for more than a decade, but he should be willing to adapt to a new role if the team needed it.
“I believe Virat is ideal for No. 4.” He can put together an inning and play any role in the middle order. I’m not sure he wants to do that. We know he enjoys playing No. 3; he’s scored all of his runs there, but at the end of the day, if the team needs you to do something or play a certain role, you have to throw your hand up and go for it.”
Ratnavali