Who will Replace Virat Kohli after his retirement from Test Cricket?
With Virat Kohli bidding farewell to the longest format of cricket, his remarkable journey batting at number 4 is now available for the taking. Here are the top four most likely contenders that Who will Replace Virat Kohli after his retirement?
Who Will Fill in For The No. 4 Spot?
With rumors surrounding Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket, after Rohit Sharma, the veteran batter, in a social media post, announced his retirement from the red-ball game. The 36-year-old’s last appearance in white jerseys was in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024/25 in Sydney. However, the most anticipated question lingers around his apt replacement at the No. 4 spot.
India’s tour of England in June 2025, consisting of five Test matches, is around the corner, and who will fill in for Virat Kohli will be the major concern for the board. Here are the top four choices who can ideally fit in the No.4 spot.
Four Contenders After Kohli
KL Rahul
KL Rahul, showcasing his exceptional batting performance in the Champions Trophy, is continuing to keep up with his form in the IPL. However, the matter of concern is his batting position. There has been a to and fro with his batting position, sometimes in the middle, or he comes as an opener. However, KL generally performed his best in the middle order(3-5) or the opening position. His performance has declined whenever he comes late to the middle order. Therefore, the in-form Rahul could be the best for No.4.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer’s last appearance in the white jersey was in 2024 against England in Visakhapatnam. The 30-year-old has one century and five half-centuries, having played in 14 Test matches. However, the right-handed batter has been a consistent contributor since the CT 2025 to the ongoing IPL 2025. Therefore, looking at his all-around performances across white-ball formats in the middle, the batter could be the right choice to bring in at the No.4 position.
Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan made his Test debut against England in 2024 in Rajkot after his worthwhile performance in the domestic circuit. The right-handed batter scored a half-century (62 runs off 66 deliveries) in his first innings. Moreover, Sarfaraz lodged his maiden Test against New Zealand in 110 balls. Therefore, the aggressive batter will be the potential candidate in the run for bagging the No.4 batting position.
Sai Sudharsan
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 emerging star, Sai Sudharsan, is yet to contribute with his bat in the longest format of the game. The 23-year-old youngster made his debut in ODI in 2023 against South Africa and his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in 2024. The left-handed batter has experience in four International matches. However, considering his recent performances in the IPL and during the India A tour of Australia, Sudharshan might receive a maiden call-up for the Tests. Moreover, the emerging and fearless youngster could be an ideal fit at the No.4 spot.
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