Virat Kohli's replacement will need to be found quickly by the Indian team administration, which is managed by captain Rohit Sharma and the selectors. The first two Tests against England won't feature Kohli. For personal reasons, the all-star batter decided to withdraw. The BCCI promised to name a replacement shortly. Particularly in Test cricket, Virat Kohli is almost tough to replace.
India batter Virat Kohli will miss his side’s first two Test matches against England due to personal reasons, the country’s cricket board confirms.
The former national team captain missed the opening game of the recent T20 series with Afghanistan, citing the same reason, but… pic.twitter.com/3xw22PqnYS— World Times (@WorldTimesWT) January 22, 2024
The players who can replace Kohli in India's Test squad
Cheteshwar Pujara
Given that he struck an undefeated 243 against Jharkhand in Saurashtra's opening Ranji Trophy match of the year, a second return at the age of 35 is not out of the question. He scored 49, 43, 43, and 66 against Haryana and Vidarbha in the next two matches. He is moving well. Additionally, he only scored 14,000 runs in first-class cricket. More than his number of runs, Pujara's experience may work in his benefit. The Indian batting lineup is primarily dependent on Rohit, who is the most experienced player after Kohli when Kohli is out of the lineup. Selectors may be inclined to rely on Pujara while facing a team such as England.
Rajat Patidar
The most formidable of all the contenders. For India A, the right-hander from Madhya Pradesh has scored two centuries in his last three innings. When all other India A batters failed, the second one was a scorching 151 against the England Lions. He has 12 centuries to go along with a first-class average of 46.
Sarfaraz Khan
When Sarfaraz was left out of the Indian Test team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, there was a lot of discussion. He was the leading run scorer in the previous two Ranji seasons and with good reason. After 44 games, he has a first-class average of 68. What went against the Mumbai batsman was his weakness against the short ball and his batting order - he bats at No.5 or lower for Mumbai. Sarfaraz nonetheless struck two half-centuries, including a 96 against the England Lions, despite this.
Rinku Singh
A late entrant, but unquestionably a formidable one. Rinku has had outstanding success in white-ball internationals. Though limited to Twenty20 Internationals, Rinku's international career has started strongly. In 15 appearances, he has averaged 89 and struck at a rate of 176. The Uttar Pradesh left-hander has won over everyone with his attitude under pressure in some of the most trying circumstances. In addition, the 26-year-old is a very skilled first-class cricket player. With the aid of seven hundred and twenty half-centuries, he has scored 3109 runs at an average of 57.57 in 44 first-class matches.
Image Source: Hindustan Times
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