“He has an organised technique” - Mohammad Kaif reveals India’s No.4 for South Africa ODI series

Mohammad Kaif revealed his pick for India's No. 4 spot in the South Africa ODI series: Captain KL Rahul. Kaif stated Rahul's "organised technique" is essential to stabilize the top order, filling the void left by Shreyas Iyer and allowing Rishabh Pant or Tilak Varma to feature as finishers lower down.

By Jack 24 Nov 2025 | Updated On 24 Nov 2025 16:08 IST in Cricket

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Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has revealed that Dhruv Jurel should occupy Shreyas Iyer’s No.4 spot in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa. Notably, the series is scheduled to start on Sunday, November 30, in Ranchi.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif made it clear that Jurel has an organised technique and can replicate Shreyas Iyer’s aggressive batting approach in the middle-order. For the unversed, Iyer has been out of cricketing action due to a spleen injury, which he sustained during the Australian tour.

"Dhruv Jurel should bat at number four because he has an organised technique. He can stabilise the innings if wickets fall early. He can mould his game according to the situation. Jurel also has the potential to finish the game well,” Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

“A batter like Shreyas Iyer is needed at number four. Iyer helped Virat Kohli quite a bit, especially in the 2023 World Cup. Kohli used to play his natural game, taking singles and doubles along with the odd boundary. Iyer used to dominate in the middle overs due to which India were in an advantageous position most of the time. I think Jurel has to take an approach similar to Iyer,” he added.

Additionally, Kaif also observed that he doesn’t see Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma making it to the playing XI in the first ODI. Furthermore, he doesn’t want to see Nitish Kumar Reddy as the third seam bowling option.

"I don’t see Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad getting an opportunity in the first game. KL Rahul will play at five. Then there is Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja. So, there is batting till No.8. Spin department is complete – Sundar, Jadeja, Kuldeep. But if Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana make it to the eleven, who is the third seamer? I don’t consider Reddy as the third seamer, he can be the fourth. Reddy can bowl 3-5 overs but the first-change bowler is equally important. So, Hardik Pandya is that missing link," the former Indian batter concluded.

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