By Admin 
Cheteshwar Pujara, who once served as the backbone of the Indian batting order, believes the No. 4 batting position is crucial, and says it’s where you want your top batter, he told ESPNcricinfo.
Pujara feels the Indian team needs a couple of series to figure out the perfect fit for that spot, as Virat Kohli’s retirement from Tests poses an immediate question to India — who will be their next No. 4? Kohli batted at No. 4 in 99 of the 115 Tests since Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement.
”We will need a couple of series to figure out who is well suited to bat at No. 4, because it’s an important position. You need your best batter to bat at No. 4. And at this time, I think it’s still a spot where the team management will have to figure out who is the most suited player at No. 4,” Pujara said on Tuesday (May 13, 2025) to ESPNcricinfo.
“There are a lot of players who are making their way into the playing XI, no one has a secure spot at this stage. It’s a process which will take some time.”
Pujara also believes that it will be important to see who performs well in England, and he feels someone who can perform well in England can have that No. 4 spot.
“It’s still early days to make a call, but it will be important to see who performs well in England because someone who can perform well in England can have that No. 4 spot,” Pujara said.
India’s initial task as they navigate a phase without Kohli and Rohit Sharma is a five-game series in England in June, marking the beginning of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.
As Indian captain Sharma and Kohli retired from Test cricket, it will be a task for the Indian selectors to find their perfect fit in the top order.
Published – May 13, 2025 01:34 pm IST