India, under the captaincy of the newly appointed skipper, will travel to England for a five-match Test series, starting next month on June 20. It will be after a long time when the Indian side will not have former skipper Rohit Sharma in their squad, as he announced his retirement from Test cricket just a few days back.
Meanwhile, the reports also suggest that the former India skipper and the modern-day batting legend, Virat Kohli, might also hang up his boots in the game’s traditional format. If reports are to be believed, India will look ahead to find a perfect and like-for-like replacement for Virat Kohli in the Tests.
With that said, here we’ll look at the three players who could replace Virat Kohli at this position in Test cricket.
Rajat Patidar
Virat Kohli’s teammate in IPL and RCB skipper Rajat Patidar has been one of the emerging talents in First-Class cricket in the Indian domestic circuit. He made his Test debut for India last year in the Vizag Test on February 2, 2024. However, he does not have any big numbers in his Test career.
Speaking of Patidar’s First-Class career, he scored 4738 runs in 116 innings of 68 games, with a brilliant average of 43.07, hitting 13 centuries and 24 half-centuries. He has played a vital role in Madhya Pradesh’s upliftment in domestic cricket.
Shreyas Iyer
Star India batter Shreyas Iyer has been in amazing form in the ODI cricket for the last couple of months. Besides that, he has had brilliant numbers in his Test career. The 30-year-old made his Test debut against New Zealand in the Kanpur Test in November 2021. He impressed with a century and a half-century in his debut Test.
Since then, Iyer has played 14 Tests, scoring 811 runs in 24 innings, with an average of 36.86 and hitting a century, alongside five half-centuries. So, considering his experience compared to other youngsters, Shreyas Iyer could be a perfect replacement for Virat Kohli at number four in the Indian Test side.
Devdutt Padikkal
Young Kerala batter Devdutt Padikkal has also impressed everyone with his consistent performances in First-Class cricket. Apart from that, he also made his Test debut for India last year in the Dharamsala Test against England. The young Southpaw has played 2 Tests, scoring 90 runs in three innings, with an average of 30.00, including a half-century.
In First-Class cricket, Padikkal has scored 2815 runs in 71 innings of the 43 games he has played. The 24-year-old has scored these runs with a good batting average of 41.39, hitting six centuries and 17 half-centuries. Considering a left-right combination in the middle-order, the management might also think of replacing Virat Kohli with Padikkal at number four.
Read More: 3 Players who can replace Rohit Sharma in Test
Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.
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