Virat Kohli to be Dropped in ODIs From No. 3 For Two Big Reasons

Champions Trophy 2025 India squad has been announced and also for the ODI series against England starting from 6th February 2025 onwards. Indian players who have not been in a good touch would be looking to regain their form in the ODI format. Keeping an eye on the Champions Trophy, this series will be an important one from India’s point of view. There can be some surprising changes in the positioning of the players.

One of them could be Kohli shifting at number 4. The change may come as a surprise to many fans. But in the context of the game and the upcoming tournament, along with an eye on the future, the decision can be taken purely in the team’s interest.

Dropping Kohli from No. 3, Could be India’s Secret Weapon or a Dangerous Gamble?

Inclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal 

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been included in India’s squad for the England ODI series and Champions Trophy 2025. Jaiswal has been in sensational form in test cricket, league cricket, or T20Is for the last one and a half years. Jaiswal, an attacking opening batsman, can provide a quick start to the team and support Rohit Sharma to carry forward at an aggressive rate. Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma could take the game away from the opposition in the powerplay itself and can give an edge on tricky conditions by capitalizing on the first 10 overs. There’s the possibility that Jaiswal could make his ODI debut in the series against England and experience 50-over cricket before the big tournament starts.

Adaptability and Flexibility to Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill is seen as the future leader of the Indian team at least in the ODI format. His inclusion in the squad, with the added responsibility of vice-captain, suggests he is surely be starting in the playing 11. If Jaiswal gets a chance, Gill will have to move down the order to number 3. As a dominating top-order batsman, Gill can adapt to the situation much better as already familiar with playing at number 3 in test cricket and most of his entire domestic career at 3, it won’t be much of a headache for Gill to move down the order.

Run-machine Virat Kohli at Number 4

With all these changes happening, and to make it feasible Virat Kohli could be moved to position 4 to provide the youngsters enough room to excel. While Kohli has made a name for himself batting at number 3 with his exceptional performances, he has done tremendously well at number 4 as well. No one comes close to Virat at number 3 in terms of runs, average, conversion rate, and centuries.

But even at position 4, Kohli has a fantastic record, scoring 1767 runs in 39 innings at an average of 55.22 and striking at 90.66. These stats are enough to justify why moving to 4 won’t be much of a headache for him. Also, knowing that not much of cricket is left in him, Kohli would like to give more chances to the youngsters to gain experience and take Indian cricket forward.

Struggle Against Spinners 

While there is no match for Kohli in the ODI, there remains a doubt on his approach against spinners in the middle overs. In the last few years, Virat has struggled against spinners and gotten out quite often. This was not the case earlier in his career. He has worked on his game lately and added a range of shots against the spinners. If the top 3 get going, it will be an easy task for Virat to bat at the backend of the innings and take India to a good score.

In all scenarios, it appears to be a positive sign for the Indian team and Virat. The team needs to get going before the Champions Trophy, and the ODI series against England will be a testing point for them.