"He is your automatic No. 4 choice" - Sanjay Bangar picks India's likely middle order for IND vs ENG 2025 ODIs

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has picked his middle-order batters for the upcoming ODI series against England. While opining that Shreyas Iyer is a sure-shot pick for the No. 4 position, he chose KL Rahul as his wicketkeeper-batter at No. 5.

India will square off against England in a three-match ODI series, with the first game to be played in Nagpur on February 6. The Men in Blue might want to field their full-strength squad in the series in preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy starting on February 19.

During an interaction on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues', Bangar was asked to pick his preferred Indian middle-order batters for the ODIs against England, with Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav being the potential candidates apart from Shreyas and Rahul.

"For me, Tilak Varma may not find a place in this 50-over team. He is a certainty in the T20 format. Shreyas Iyer has not done anything wrong. He has had a phenomenal World Cup in the 50-over format. Whatever domestic cricket he has played, he has been on fire," he replied.

"So he is your automatic No. 4 choice, and KL Rahul, because as a wicketkeeper-batter, the way he kept wickets and got important runs whenever needed. So KL Rahul will be my No. 5," Bangar added.

Shreyas Iyer has amassed 2421 runs at an average of 47.47 in 57 ODI innings. KL Rahul has a similar ODI record, with his 2851 runs in 72 innings coming at an average of 49.15.

---

"You have to give that place to Sanju Samson" - Sanjay Bangar on the backup wicketkeeper in India's squad

Sanju Samson has amassed 510 runs at an average of 56.67 in 14 ODI innings. [P/C: Getty]

In the same interaction, Sanjay Bangar chose Sanju Samson when asked to pick a backup wicketkeeper for the ODIs against England.

"I think, as a backup, you have to give that place to Sanju Samson because he averages above 50 in ODI cricket. Add to that, he is a man in form as well," he said.

The former India all-rounder opined that Rishabh Pant might have to bide his time before getting a chance in the 50-over format.

"So if at all there has to be a backup wicketkeeper-batter, it has to be Sanju Samson. Yes, Rishabh Pant has started playing the T20 and the Test formats but this is a format where he will have to wait for his time," Bangar observed.

Pant has aggregated 871 runs at an average of 33.50 in 27 ODI innings. He scored only six runs in the third ODI against Sri Lanka in August last year, the only international 50-over game he has played since recovering from the injuries sustained in a horrific car accident.