The Indian cricket team has tried several players in the number four slot since the last World Cup, but none of them could perform consistently. However, with the 2019 World Cup coming up, the Indian team selectors have a huge task at hand to select the right number four batsman on Monday as the Indian team for the quadrennial event will be selected on that day.

KL Rahul, who had a dismal season in international cricket after the 2018 IPL, has come back strongly in IPL 2019. He is currently the second highest scorer in the tournament with 317 runs in seven matches at an average of 79.25. While as for Rayudu, he has scored 138 runs in eight matches thus far.

Ahead of team selection day, former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said that KL Rahul could bat at number four for the Men in Blue.

“Look, who bats at number four will be a matter of debate. And this is where IPL form will be considered because that’s current form. Ambati Rayudu was spoken about when the season started but has lost form sharply and someone like KL Rahul could be chosen for no.4,” Gavaskar told India Today.

The batting legend added that it’s not much of a problem for an opener to move down the order.

“He has played at number 4 in the past. But for some reason he was confused in the past year and a half or so. But we have seen him bat with a lot of focus and concentration in the IPL. And I don’t think it’s so much a problem for an opener to switch to middle order as opposed to a middle order player to bat in the opening position,” said Gavaskar.

First Published: Apr 15, 2019 00:35 IST