India weigh No.4 options ahead of 2026 ODI series against West Indies
Shubman Gill will captain India in the three-match ODI series against West Indies in 2026, leaving a vacancy at No.4 after Shreyas Iyer withdrew because of his Asian Games commitments.
India view the series as part of preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup and aim to clarify their preferred batting combination; Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are included in the squad while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad seek opportunities. The squad mixes experienced campaigners and younger players, creating selection choices the management must resolve to fit into the playing XI.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is a primary candidate for the No.4 slot despite usually opening; he was deployed at No.4 against South Africa and scored his maiden ODI century in Raipur. His record of adapting from the top of the order to the middle, and the cited ability to handle pace and spin and rotate the strike, underpin his consideration for the role with Gaikwad back in the ODI squad.
KL Rahul offers a seasoned alternative, having batted at multiple positions for India and previously occupied the middle order in ODIs. The article notes Rahul can stabilise the innings after an early wicket and accelerate the scoring once set, and his wicketkeeping skill adds selection flexibility. If the management opts to use Rahul primarily as a batter, Dhruv Jurel is presented as a candidate to take the glovework.
Shubman Gill himself could be shifted down the order to accommodate another opener, with the move potentially allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal to open alongside Rohit Sharma; Jaiswal has returned to the ODI squad and is seeking more chances. The piece records that Gill has previously batted lower in order to fit another opener, though assigning him to No.4 would represent a substantial change to his usual role.
Dhruv Jurel, included in the West Indies series squad, has yet to make his ODI debut but has played Tests and T20Is for India and is described as having shown he can handle pressure. His wicketkeeping abilities are flagged as useful if Rahul is selected as a specialist batter, and the West Indies series is framed as an opportunity to experiment with Jurel in the middle order.
India enter the three-match series with multiple plausible No.4 options—Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel—while Shreyas Iyer remains unavailable due to the Asian Games, and the forthcoming matches will provide the management a chance to test combinations and settle the middle-order choice for their 2027 World Cup preparations.