Host India’s star batsman Virat Kohli is all set to miss the first two matches of the upcoming Test series against England due to personal reasons.
Veteran batsman Rohit Sharma will lead the side against Ben Stokes-led England in a grueling series starting from January 25.
Kohli opted out of the first two games of the Test series just three days ahead of the first Test. He was earlier named in the 16-member Indian squad.
India need to announce a replacement for Kohli at the earliest as the Test series is set to begin on Thursday.
Many players in the domestic circuit have impressed in recent times. They can be on Team India’s radar to replace Kohli in the first two Tests.
One of the top contenders for Kohli’s replacement will be attacking batter Rajat Patidar. He has a terrific first-class record for Madhya Pradesh. The RCB batter has so far garnered a total of 4000 runs in 93 innings at an average of 53.48 including 22 half-centuries and 12 centuries.
Patidar has been one of the best middle-order batsmen in the domestic circuit. He can be a perfect replacement for Kohli in the first two Tests against the visitors.
Another batsman who has been banging on the doors of the Indian team for so long is Sarfaraz Khan. It is the best batsman to give the prolific run scorer the coveted India cap and honor his consistent performance in first-class cricket.
Sarfaraz has amassed 3751 runs in just 65 innings in domestic cricket so far. Moreover, he has an impressive average of 68.20.
Dependable batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has been getting ignored by the selectors after the World Test Championship Final defeat against Australia. However, considering his consistent performance in the ongoing domestic season for Saurashtra, he can be the perfect replacement for someone like Kohli.
The veteran batsman has so far scored 444 runs in five innings in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season at a stellar average of 111 including a double century.