Hanuma Vihari targets the no.4 spot in the Indian ODI team

The no.4 spot in the Indian ODI team is still up for grabs with Ambati Rayudu failing to keep his place in the recently concluded five-match ODI series against Australia, that the Indian team lost 2-3. They had Rayudu at the no.4 spot for the first three ODIs and then skipper Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant took turns in an attempt to figure out alternatives.

However, the spot is still open with many other contenders still feeling confident of making it their own. Players like Vijay Shankar and Dinesh Karthik are leading the races to bat at no.4 spot in the World Cup which would only be a stop-gap solution. For a long-term solution, the Indian team management may have to look elsewhere after the tournament based on how things turn out in England.

Hanuma Vihari puts his hand up for the no.4 spot

Indian Test team member Hanuma Vihari impressed one and all with his debut fifty against England in the Oval Test match. Since then, he has toured Australia, where he even opened the innings against the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and held his own.

Vihari, who will be playing for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2019, feels he is the best bet for the no.4 spot in the Indian team. “I think I fit the bill (for the No. 4 spot). I’ve got the technique. You need someone at that No. 4 spot who has a good technique and can adapt to any situation. I think I have the skills and the game to succeed at that position,” Vihari was quoted as saying by TOI.

IPL can be a way into the Indian team for World Cup 2019

The Hyderabad cricketer feels that his performances in the upcoming IPL 2019 can pave a way into the Indian team bound for England and Wales. The middle-order batsman was picked by the Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crores and he will be seen in the cash-rich T20 league after a period of three years.

Vihari has previously played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise and now sees himself in the Capitals’ team which includes Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, and Rishabh Pant as batting powerhouses.

“The challenge for me is to perform in the IPL first. Rest depends on what the team management and the selectors think. Even with India ‘A’, in the white-ball format, I’ve done quite well. I feel I can take my game to the next level and this year’s IPL will be a perfect platform,” Vihari further said.

Delhi Capitals commence IPL 2019 with their first match versus Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 24.

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