Why Dipendra Singh Airee batting at No 4 is important for Nepal?

Dipendra Singh Airee is not just one of Nepal’s most gifted cricketers, he is also one of its most adaptable. Over the course of his T20I career, Airee has batted almost everywhere, from the top order at No. 3 to the lower middle order at No. 8. Yet, despite this flexibility, the numbers and the match situations both point to one conclusion: No. 4 is where Airee makes the biggest impact.

With 1956 career runs in Twenty20 Internationals across 78 innings, Airee remains Nepal’s highest run-getter in the format. More importantly, a significant portion of those runs have come when he has been given a clearly defined role in the middle order, rather than being moved around to suit short-term needs.

What do the numbers say?

More than 45 percent of Dipendra Singh Airee’s total T20I runs have come while batting at No. 4. Since making his international debut in 2018, he has batted in this position on 32 occasions, scoring 912 runs at an average of 33.78. Those returns include five half-centuries and his lone T20I hundred.

For a team like Nepal, that level of consistency in one slot is invaluable. Airee at No. 4 has repeatedly shown the ability to absorb pressure, rebuild after early wickets, and then accelerate when the platform is set.

2020–22: when Airee averaged over fifty

The period between 2020 and 2022 arguably represents the peak of Airee’s T20I batting. During this phase, he was the preferred No. 4 under head coaches Umesh Patwal and Manoj Prabhakar, and he justified that trust with performances that defined matches rather than merely contributing to them.

Nepal played 26 T20Is in that period, and Airee featured in all of them. Out of the 23 innings he batted, 16 came at No. 4. From those innings, he scored 657 runs at a staggering average of 54.75, numbers that place him in elite company irrespective of team context.

One important detail often overlooked is how he was used as a bowler during this phase. Airee rarely bowled his full quota of four overs. That allowed him to conserve energy, focus on batting, and take responsibility during the most demanding phases of the innings.

A shift in role under the Monty Desai era

The dynamics changed when Monty Desai took over as Nepal’s head coach. From 2023 onwards, Rohit Paudel was increasingly viewed as the preferred option at No. 4. As a result, Airee batted in that position just twice in the 46 matches Nepal played during this period.

The impact of that shift is reflected in the numbers. Airee, who averaged close to 48 across positions between 2020 and 2022, has averaged just 28 since 2023. At the same time, his bowling workload increased significantly. Captain Rohit Paudel began using him across all phases of the innings, from the powerplay to the middle overs and even at the death, often completing his full four-over quota.

While Airee’s value as an all-rounder is undeniable, this expanded bowling role has coincided with a dip in his batting output, particularly when he has been pushed away from his most productive batting position.

Rohit Paudel himself is almost certain to bat at No. 3 in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Notably, in the matches where Rohit has batted at No. 4 since 2023, he has averaged 29 with a strike rate of 118, numbers that suggest the position remains unsettled rather than solved.

Signs of a possible return

There have been recent hints that the team management may be reconsidering Airee’s role. In practice matches against Sri Lanka ‘A’ and the MCA President XI, Airee was tried at No. 4 on two occasions, while he did not make a significant contribution in both the practice games. In the warm-up game against the UAE at Chepauk, Airee delivered at his favourite position.

Batting at No. 4, Airee scored a match-winning unbeaten 50 off 31 balls and was part of an unbroken 103-run partnership with Aarif Sheikh that guided Nepal to a seven-wicket victory. It was a timely reminder of what he brings when he is given time at the crease and clarity about his role.

Why No. 4 works for Airee

Dipendra Singh Airee is a batter who believes in reading the game. Given time, he can completely alter the context of a match. His range allows him to start cautiously if required and then shift gears seamlessly, a pattern that is ideally suited to the No. 4 position in T20 cricket.

There is no debate about his calibre or his importance to Nepal’s ambitions. As the current sixth-ranked T20I all-rounder, Airee’s performances will be central to Nepal’s hopes of pushing for a Super Eight berth. The numbers clearly underline his dominance at No. 4, and the nature of his batting demands a role that allows him to settle before accelerating.

For Nepal, using Airee at No. 4 is not merely a statistical preference. It is a tactical decision that maximises one of their most valuable assets. When deployed correctly, Dipendra Singh Airee at No. 4 remains Nepal’s best bet to control games, absorb pressure, and turn moments into wins.