Asia Cup 2023: Everyone should be able to bat anywhere – Rohit Sharma wants batting order to be flexible

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has urged his batters to be flexible in the batting order ahead of the Asia Cup and the World Cup. Rohit wants the batters to bat according to the match situation and not be adamant about a particular batting position.

Rohit shed light on the issue after the team was announced for the Asia Cup. India’s number four woes have troubled them in the recent past but Rohit stressed that it is important to come up with a collective show.

The Indian skipper wants the whole batting order to take the onus on their shoulders and be flexible in their respective roles.

“One thing I want in this team is to make sure everyone is okay to bat anywhere,” Rohit said on Monday (August 21) at a press conference announcing India’s Asia Cup squad. “That’s one thing we need to keep in mind. You need flexibility, guys who can step up at any position. No one should say, ‘I’m good at this position or I’m good at that position’. You want guys to be able to bat anywhere, that’s the message conveyed to every individual. Not now, but over the last three-four years.”

Meanwhile, Yuzvendra Chahal could not find a place in the squad and Rohit said they wanted a bowler who could also contribute while batting down the order. Ergo, Axar Patel has been included in the Asia Cup and he has shown the skills to deliver with the bat.

“Where things boil down to is the batting option at No. 8 and 9. Axar, you know he’s had a good run this year, batted well in white-ball cricket. He had a few opportunities in the West Indies but couldn’t make it big, but with him being there, it gives us the option of having a left-hander who can go up the order and play spinners if required, and also create batting depth.

“I know it’s tough for guys on the outside to understand why a guy who bats at six is batting at four, but the message has been given. This is international sport, not club cricket that you’re talking about. It’s not like we go to sleep giving a position for a certain player and then change it the next morning.

“We say, ‘this is what we want’. You don’t want to be handicapped or stuck with one player batting in one position. Having said that, you want to get the best out of players in certain positions. All seven-eight numbers are open to anyone, that’s the message we have sent out for so many years now.”

India will aim to tick the right boxes as a batting unit in the all-important Asia Cup. The Rohit Sharma-led team will begin their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele on September 2.