Yuvraj Singh, whose own brilliance at number 4 was key to India's ICC triumphs in 2007 and 2011, expressed his disapproval of how the current management handled this vital part of the batting order.
According to Yuvraj, the management should have invested in developing a player. Rather than reacting to short-term failures, they should have committed to a specific individual and assured them of their place in the World Cup squad.
Yuvraj, who earned Man of the Tournament honors in 2011, questioned why Ambati Rayudu was cast aside so quickly after a slump. He found it frustrating that Rayudu, despite showing potential in New Zealand, was dropped after only a handful of bad games. He noted that Rishabh Pant suffered a similar fate of being brought in and then let go, emphasizing that if the number 4 spot is as vital as it is in ODIs, the player occupying it must feel fully backed by the team.
The team even experimented with Dinesh Karthik during this period. It remains unclear what the ultimate strategy was, although they eventually returned to Rishabh Pant, who managed to perform well.