KL Rahul, marking his return to international cricket after a hiatus of 172 days, delivered a remarkable century against Pakistan while batting in the number 4 position during the Super 4s Asia Cup 2023 match. The debate surrounding who should occupy the crucial number 4 position in India’s ODI team has been a longstanding discussion among cricket enthusiasts and the media.
In recent times, many had anticipated that Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul would take up the mantle in the middle-order for the Indian team in ODIs. However, with Ishan Kishan regaining form (he scored four consecutive fifties in ODIs), the Indian team management faces a conundrum regarding Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion in the lineup.
In this article, we will explore and evaluate who has performed better for India in the middle order in ODIs.
KL Rahul at number 4 (or) lower position in ODIs since 2020:
Matches – 22
Innings – 21
Runs – 1035
Avg – 64.68
S.R – 97.91
50s – 7; 100s – 3
H.S – 112 vs NZ in Mt. Maunganui, 2020
KL Rahul’s recent fifty-plus scores in ODIs:
111* vs PAK in Colombo(RPS), 2023
75* vs AUS in Mumbai(WS), 2023
64* vs SL in Kolkata, 2023
73 vs BAN in Mirpur, 2022
Shreyas Iyer at number 4 (or) lower position in ODIs since 2020:
Matches – 32
Innings – 29
Runs – 1169
Avg – 44.96
S.R – 93.89
50s – 2; 100s – 8
H.S – 113* vs SA in Ranchi, 2022
Also read: ICC ODI World Cup squad of all teams revealed- Full list of players selected
Shreyas Iyer’s recent fifty-plus scores in ODIs:
82 vs BAN in Mirpur, 2022
80 vs NZ in Auckland, 2022
113* vs SA in Ranchi, 2022
50 vs SA in Lucknow, 2022
Shreyas Iyer in ODI matches during 2022:
Matches – 17
Innings – 15
Runs – 724
Avg – 55.69
S.R – 91.52
50s – 6; 100s – 1
Shreyas Iyer scores in ODI matches during 2023:
28(24) vs SL in Guwahati
28(33) vs SL in Kolkata
38(32) vs SL in Thiruvananthapuram
14(9) vs PAK in Pallekele – Asia Cup
DNB vs Nepal in Pallekele – Asia Cup
Considering KL Rahul’s recent performances at the number 4 or 5 positions in ODIs and Ishan Kishan’s impressive form, Shreyas Iyer may face a challenging path to make a comeback in this format. Unless the team opts to exclude Ishan Kishan from the Playing XI, it appears to be a tough road ahead for Iyer to secure his spot.