Who Will Replace Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Indian Test Cricket?

Judgment parameters for replacing Rohit and Kohli

The ranking criteria for the replacements of both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will differ. Even if you remove the elephant in the room, which is who will captain the team in the absence of Rohit, the two giants will be vacating two positions in the batting order. Rohit Sharma, barring the last six months, was India’s best test batter in the last couple of years. Virat, while going through a poor run of form, still turned up with a century in Perth in his last Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

Leading the batting unit

Captaining a test team is as important as leading the batting unit of the same team. A leader of the batting unit is said to be someone who scores heaps of runs. For Indian batters, scoring in overseas conditions has proven to be a pretty difficult task in their history. The red Dukes ball used in England is known to swing for a prolonged period of time. Even a batter at number four would have to deal with the moving ball, which could be a test of the batter’s calibre. 

For a number of years, particularly from 2012 to 2019, Virat Kohli led the batting unit featuring the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. After Rohit and Kohli’s there seems to be a dearth of experienced batters in the Indian team. KL Rahul, with 58 tests to his name, is the most experienced, however, he too is someone who has not been a consistent feature in the playing 11. 

Among the contenders, Shubman Gill could be the player who can be given the responsibility of leading the batting unit. The right-handed batter is rather inexperienced when it comes to playing in England. Gill has only played three games in England, and only one of those came against the home team. 

Aggression on the field

There is no doubt over the fact that Virat Kohli was the most aggressive player in the history of Indian cricket. In overseas conditions, when the chips are down, energetic players are as important as a captain. 

Given the nature of the format, a partnership from the opposition while the team is bowling can make a session or a day of test cricket feel very long. In such situations, players who can cheer up the troops are needed. 

Importantly, there have been cases, barring Virat, where energetic players can not provide the words of motivation when they themselves are not among the runs. Whoever is selected in the place of Rohit and Virat will need to put their lack of runs behind themselves if it arises when the team comes to bowl. 

Tackling spin bowling

In spite of having a rich history of batters dominating spin bowlers, the Indian team are going through a phase where there seems to be a dearth of players who can tackle spin bowling. Among the players who are in and around the test team, the one player who stands out is Axar Patel when it comes to playing spinners. 

Rohit Sharma showcased his ability to handle spin not only on regular surfaces but some rank turners during the England tour of India in 2021 and 2024. Given that he is no longer in the test team, handling spin will certainly play a role in deciding who gets into the test team.

Thankfully for the selectors, they do not need to pick any player on the basis of their batting against spin for the upcoming tour of England. The opposition will rely on their pace battery of bowlers, and spin will hardly play a role in the series. 

However, with the 3-0 drubbing they faced at home at the hands of New Zealand in late 2024, the test team would understand that they are no longer invincible in India. That series served as a reminder of how the batters do not have the ability to play spin bowling, let alone attack it. 

Constructing a test innings

By sheer fortune, the players that are coming into the International setup have been nurtured while playing shorter formats rather than first-class cricket. The Indian Premier League (India’s premier T20 league) can change the lives of many players. It becomes only natural that budding cricketers put more focus on white-ball cricket rather than tests.

Both Rohit and Virat, in spite of probably being the best batters of their generation in white-ball cricket, had laid their foundation as budding cricketers in first-class cricket. This meant that more often than not, once they got their eye in any test match, they would make sure to play a match-winning knock. 

Apart from KL Rahul, no other batter in the Indian team has a reputation for tiring out the bowlers, something which Cheteshwar Pujara used to consistently, especially away from home. The selectors would be making a consideration when they select a replacement. 

Record away from home

There is no doubt over the fact that the real test of calibre and ability of a team or a player is away from home. Many players in the past have shown that they can be an unstoppable force at home.

However, it is as important to play and perform similarly away from home as well. Since the inception of the World Test Championship, India, along with Australia, is the only team to make it to the WTC Finals twice. During those two seasons, the Indian batters made sure that they were not dismissed cheaply in conditions more suited to bowlers. 

Top contenders to replace Rohit and Kohli

Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill, who is not only an integral part of the Indian test team but is also in consideration for a leadership role, has the strongest candidature among the rest of the contenders. The right-handed batter has already played 32 test matches, including three in England. However, there are still doubts over his position in the team.

Gill has struggled away from home big time. In 15 games outside India, the 25-year-old averages only 27.53. However, what has proven to be his biggest weak point in recent times is his performance in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia). He has played 11 games so far in these countries, barring New Zealand, where he is yet to play. In those games, Gill has managed to make only 514 runs. His away average of 27.53 dips further to 25.7 in these countries. 

He has been portrayed as the successor to Virat Kohli for many years. He is even monikered Prince after Kohli, who is nicknamed King. Given how big of shoes of Virat Kohli are to fill, Gill has been under a great deal of pressure for a while now.

Even though Gill has a great first-class record, it has been pretty tough going for him at the highest level. He is being looked at as a contender for captaincy after Rohit Sharma retired from test cricket a few days ago. Leading the side when his personal performance is on a downward curve could prove to be detrimental for the 25-year-old. 

Sai Sudharsan

In spite of being only 23 years of age, Sai Sudharsan has impressed many fans and experts out there with his ability to face international bowlers. The left-handed batter, while playing for the Gujarat Titans in the 18th season of the IPL, has been the breakout star. He has already scored more than 500 runs despite playing 11 games. In the previous season as well, Sudharsan breached the 500-run mark. 

In only 36 IPL games, the batter from Chennai has scored 1,543 runs at an average of 46.75. He was also the fastest Indian batter to reach the 1500-run milestone. What makes him better than the rest of the IPL batters is his technical superiority. He has a career strike rate in excess of 140 while not playing any risky shots. 

Sudharsan has experience of playing in England thanks to his stint with Surrey in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, he played two games and scored 116 runs at an average of 38.66. His return to Surrey in the very next year resulted in 165 runs at 33. 

While Sudharsan’s average remains below 40 in first-class games, with some grooming, he can be looked at as a future prospect. Apart from his technical skills, which were displayed during the 18th season of the IPL, he also provides the team with a left-handed option. Currently, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja are the three left-handed batters in the lineup.

Karun Nair

Karun Nair’s resurgence in red-ball cricket in recent years has been miraculous. The right-handed batter, after being dropped from the Indian test team in 2017, Nair has made a huge comeback on the back of some great performances in the domestic circuit. Like Rohit and Virat, Karun has the experience of playing red-ball cricket. Along with Abhimanyu Easwaran, Nair is the only player with experience of more than 100 first-class games.

Nair is only the second triple-centurion for India in test cricket. However, his returns in the format apart from that innings were mediocre, and he was therefore dropped from the team. He has scored 1,553 runs in the last two seasons of the Ranji Trophy. His consistency has been unparalleled during the two seasons, thanks to a stellar average of 47.06. 

Given his old-school technique, Nair could also be looked at as a number three. Since moving on from Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill has been tried at the position. In 17 games at number three, the 25-year-old has scored close to 1,000 runs at an average of 37. 

The only thing that works against Nair is that he is already 33 years old, which means he is not a future prospect. Selecting the right-handed batter might work for the Indian cricket team for this WTC cycle, but it will not be a long-term solution.

Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan, like Nair, has been grinding for a few years in the domestic circuit. He reaped the rewards of his hard work earlier in 2024 when England toured India. He rose to prominence at the age of 12 during the Harris Shield tournament thanks to an innings where he made 439 runs, smashing 56 fours and 12 sixes. 

Since then, Sarfaraz has not only played in the Indian Premier League but has also impressed at the domestic level, especially in first-class cricket. In the Irani Cup final before the 2024 home season, the right-handed batter struck a double century to win the clash for Mumbai. 

In Ranji Trophy 2022-23, Sarfaraz scored 556 runs in six games at an average of 92.66. At some point in time before his test debut, his average in first-class cricket was close to 70. The right-handed batter meets the criteria of the modern-day batter. In spite of playing some of the fancy cross-batted shots, including the ramp and scoop shots, Sarfaraz has still managed to put a hefty price on his wicket.

Albeit he is from a generation which has grown up on the T20 format, the right-handed batter has managed to find consistency in performances in red-ball cricket. He has the best average in first-class among all the contenders, and given that he is only 27 years of age, he can be looked at as a long-term option in the middle order. 

He plays with an aggressive mindset similar to how Rishabh Pant plays. In recent times, both England and even Australia, to some extent, have packed their lineups with players who can take the game away in the space of a session.

Devdutt Padikkal

Devudtt Padikkal emerges as another option, who has been given a couple of chances in recent times. While the 24-year-old could not impress in the two tests he played against England (at home) and Australia (away), he can be a contender for one of the spots. 

Like some of the other classical batters from Karnataka, Padikkal has a strong technique that makes him a suitable candidate for the number three spot. Like Sudharsan, he too is a left-handed batter and can provide some variety to the batting lineup. Interestingly, the other southpaws in the Indian setup are naturally aggressive batters and can be dismissed cheaply while playing high-risk shots. Meanwhile, Devdutt has shown that he has the calibre to fight out tough spells and tire out bowlers, which can allow the strokemakers around him to feast on some poor deliveries from the opposition bowlers.

His numbers in List-A cricket, where Padikkal has scored 2,071 runs at an average of almost 80, showcase how he has found consistency. While it is a different format, there are no suspicions over the fact that the form from 50-over cricket can be translated into the longest format. In the ongoing season of the IPL before his injury, Padikkal had shown that he has what it takes to face some of the best bowlers and dominate them. 

If Padikkal is indeed given a chance, there is a point to be made for him to bat at the number three position instead of the number four position where Kohli used to bat. What makes him standout among the rest of the contenders is that if a need arises he open the innings as well. 

Abhimanyu Easwaran

Had Abhimanyu Easwaran been playing in any other country, he probably would have made his debut in test cricket by now. However, the reluctance of different selectors to trust form at the domestic level, in spite of some great numbers, has prevented them from selecting Easwaran at the top of the order. 

Both Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were picked ahead of him to bat in the top order, thanks to playing in the IPL and other formats. Easwaran has not only played over 100 first-class games but also boasts a staggering average of 48.87. Being a one-format specialist, the BCCI can benefit from playing Easwaran instead of playing someone whose workload they would have to manage. 

Given that he only plays red-ball cricket, the board can also ask him to play county cricket which can suit as better preparation for assignments away from home. Cheteshwar Pujara was a prime example of the fact that a single-format specialist can be a great option in a lineup which otherwise features players who rely on shots that are used in different formats as well. 

Experts opine about the possible replacements

Experts and former cricketers have voiced out their opinions on the possible replacements of both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. There are a lot of questions for the BCCI to answer as they find themselves in multiple conundrums. Not only do they need to find two batters to take up the spots vacated by Rohit and Virat, they also need to find a number 4, which has been the centrepiece of the Indian batting unit for more than three decades. 

Wasim Jaffer gives his remark on the number four debate

Former Indian opener, Wasim Jaffer, in an interview with the Times of India, was asked about who should be India’s number four. For the last 33 years, barring a match here and there, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have been batting at the position. 

The two names from the current setup that stand out are Shubman Gill and KL Rahul. Jaffer, shut down the option of moving KL to number four in spite of his incredible versatility. The 33-year-old justified his being a successor of Rohit Sharma rather than Virat Kohli at the top of the order during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. 

Jaffer suggested that Shubman Gill, who is the front-runner to be named the captain of the Indian test team following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format, should bat at number four. Along with Gill, the former Indian opener was quick to name one of his teammates from the Gujarat Titans to be included in the Indian squad to tour England. He said, “Sai Sudharsan looks assured, and he should be given a longer rope at No. 3.”

Sudharsan has made many people in awe thanks to his stellar performances in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League. He has scored 500 runs already in the season despite relying on a range of technical shots. 

Atherton shows sympathy for the next number four batter

Former England cricketer, Michael Atherton, expressed his sympathy for the batter who will possibly be taking Virat Kohli’s place at number four when India tours England. While discussing Kohli’s retirement on Sky Sports, Atherton talked about how he loved seeing Kohli bat. 

Atherton believes that India and the BCCI will be looking at the start of the new World Test Championship cycle as a moment to reshape their team. While talking about the possible shuffle in the Indian side, he said, "It feels as though at the start of a new World Test Championship cycle, this is the moment that India will start to regenerate and reshape their team. We're not sure who is going to take his place at No. 4 yet, and you kind of pity the person who has to follow because you've just had about 15 years of Kohli and before that, it was Sachin Tendulkar.”

Anil Kumble’s out-of-the-box selection for number four

Anil Kumble was one of the greats of the Indian cricket team and also had a successful stint as the captain of the test team. There is no doubt about the fact that the former right-arm spinner is a great thinker of the game and can be quite insightful with his decisions. While many experts have suggested the inclusion of younger players who can be given a long rope at number four, Kumble has gone out and asked for Karun Nair’s inclusion at the legacy spot. 

Nair, who is 33 years old, is the oldest contender for the spot in the playing XI. He is only three years younger than Kohli, which makes his inclusion a stop-gap solution. With the World Test Championship around, every game now has something riding on it. While Nair’s inclusion in the side could be considered a step backwards, it can provide a short-term solution for the selectors for at least this cycle.

Kumble pointed out the importance of considering the performances by players like Karun in domestic cricket while selecting a team. The former Indian skipper said, "Karun deserves to come back into the Indian team with the kind of domestic run he has had. So perhaps he could be the No.4 for India because I feel, you need a bit of experience. You ned someone in England who has been there and done that. He has played County cricket, so he knows the conditions. Karun may be on the other side of 30, but he is still young. If he gets an opportunity, there will be a lot more hope for youngsters to play first-class cricket. If the sheer performance in domestic cricket doesn't get recognised, it becomes a bit of a challenge."

Karun has been in some great form at the domestic level recently. In the last season of the Ranji Trophy, the right-handed batter was the fourth-highest run-scorer and made 863 runs while averaging almost 54. 

India’s predicted XI against England

It has been a long time since a playing 11 has excited so many Indian fans. Most people are left in shock by the retirements of not only Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but also Ravichandran Ashwin. However, this still gives a chance to have a look at a new set of players who will have the opportunity to take Indian cricket forward and create a legacy for themselves. 

England’s conditions are pretty far from what the Indian players are used to at home. In India, the team management can rely on the plethora of spin all-rounder options. Meanwhile, it will not be the same case when the two-time WTC finalist tours England in June. The fitness of both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will be key in the English pace-friendly conditions. 

India’s predicted playing XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Reserves: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna, Akaash Deep

Apart from these 16 players, there will be a few more players who could be in contention to make it to the playing XI. The India A squad features the likes of Shardul Thakur, who could come straight into the playing XI in the place of Washington Sundar if the Indian team decides to go with another pace-bowling option. Karun Nair will also fancy his chances of making it into the squad if he carries his domestic form to the games with the India A team.