Virat Kohli’s statue installed at Jaipur Wax Museum on World Heritage Day
A wax statue of ace India cricketer Virat Kohli was installed at the Jaipur Wax Museum on the occasion of World Heritage Day on Thursday.
Skipper Virat Kohli believes Team India’s middle-order puzzle will be solved if Chennai Super Kings batsman Ambati Rayudu cements his place at the crucial No. 4 spot ahead of the 2019 World Cup.
Virat Kohli on Saturday, ahead of the first one-dayer against the West Indies, said “The only position we were trying to figure out was number four for a long time. We tried many players who unfortunately could not capitalise or cement their places in a way we wanted,” before adding, “With Rayudu coming in and playing well in the Asia Cup, it’s about giving him enough game time till the World Cup so that the particular slot will be sorted for us.”
Ambati Rayudu has earned a spot in the national side on the back of a stellar campaign for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2018. Rayudu was called in the Indian squad for the United Kingdom tour after he scored 602 runs at an average of 43.00 and a strike-rate of 149.75 in the cash-rich league. However, Rayudu had to be dropped after he failed the Yo-Yo test.
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Rayudu was included in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2018 after he cleared the Yo-Yo test.
“The team felt there — and I also watched him — that he (Rayudu) is designed to play that middle order batsman’s role. We feel that our middle-order is more or less balanced now,” Kohli added.
Virat Kohli also said, “We believe he is the right person to capitalise on that spot. He is experienced and has won many games for his state and also in the IPL. He has a great ODI record already for India. I think the batting order is sorted.”
“Now these 18 games would be to find the perfect combination that we want to take into the World Cup,” Kohli said.
In the recently concluded Asia Cup 2018, Rayudu amassed 175 runs, averaging 43.75 from six innings while playing at number 3.
“Barring injuries or niggles, we want one combination to play through and through. Apart from bowlers resting here and there in the ODIs, we only changed the No. 4 slot because we wanted someone to cement the place,” Kohli stated.
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