Indian skipper Virat Kohli today went on to say that despite India having power packed benh strength, there is no spot fixed for any player in the playing eleven.

India will take on Sri Lanka in the first one day international match tomorrow and Kohli mentioned that India’s bench strength is very good which augurs well for the team in the long run. But the skipper also said that the players have to be on their toes all the time as the competition for a place is getting fiercer day-by-day.

Pointing towards the curious case of Ajinkya Rahane, Kohli said that the right-handed opener knows that he is behind Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in the pecking order but he remains India’s third choice opener in limited overs format.

“I think in any format if there is desperation or urge to cement your place in the team, there is always going to be pressure on you. So what we try to do is tell players that just go out there and express themselves. It is a pecking order that you need to look at. Shikhar was not in the mix of things till a few months back but when he came back, you have seen what he can do,” said Kohli

“He came and got the golden bat in the Champions Trophy and then he has won us two Test matches with the bat. So he is an impact player and we all know that. So, Rahane understands that at this moment, he is the third opener and we will certainly back him there because we have shifted him around a bit in the middle order as well and it is not right. But he has grabbed his opportunities well as he was the man of the series in West Indies, so he continues to be in the set-up,” he added.