ICC World Cup 2019: Suresh Raina names India’s number four for the tournament

There’s no doubt in the fact that India have one of strongest batting lineups in world cricket at this point in time. However, like every other team, even they have some chinks in the batting order that they would want to eradicate as soon as possible, especially with the ICC World Cup in England and Wales, which is scheduled to get underway on Thursday, May 30, knocking on the doors.

One of the problems India are encountering is who should be their number four for the mega-event. They have tried out a number of them and the latest contenders for the spots are MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu, both of whom batted at the position in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia and New Zealand. And most importantly, they didn’t flatter to deceive by any means.

In the meantime, discarded Indian batsman Suresh Raina was clear-cut about India’s number four for the 50-overs extravaganza. “Dhoni has been batting really well and scoring runs. For me, I feel he is India’s number four for the World Cup,” Raina was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times.

He is the go-to-man for skipper Kohli

Raina, who plays alongside Dhoni for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), put forth Dhoni’s significance in the Indian team. Raina mentioned that the 37-year-old from Jharkhand is Indian captain Virat Kohli’s go-to-man in the shorter formats and also put forth the reasons behind the same. Suresh also told how his guidance has helped youngsters to grow.

“The amount of runs Dhoni has scored recently in Australia and New Zealand and the kind of guidance he gives to the youngsters in the team, especially the bowlers, that augurs really well for the boys. He has seen a lot of ups and downs, he has been a part of quite a few World Cups and has also been there in IPL finals and that is why he is the go-to-man for skipper Kohli,” he added.

Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.