Cricket News
Top 3 possible players who might replace Virat Kohli in first two Tests against England
The most awaited Test series between India and England is around the corner. The 1st Test match is scheduled for the 25th of January in Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Hyderabad. As Indian team arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday while England arrived on Sunday. Both the teams have started their practice session on Monday.
In the meantime, Virat Kohli has opted himself from the first two Test series against England due to personal reasons. Indian Cricket Board have announced that media and fans should respect players’ privacy. Virat has a good record against the Three Lions. He has scored 1991 runs with an average of 42.36.
The Indian Cricket Board haven’t yet announced a replacement for Virat Kohli. While an official statement is still pending let’s have a look at three players who can replace Virat Kohli’s place in the first two Test matches.
Here are the top 3 players who can replace Virat Kohli in the first two Tests against England:
#3 Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara source (Twitter)
Cheteshwar Pujara is one of the greatest players for India in the longest format of the game. Since World Test Championship final in 2023 Cheteshwar Pujara has been dropped from the squad due to poor form. Pujara has played 103 Test matches for India. He has been in his top form for the Saurashtra team. Till now he has scored 444 runs from just 5 innings with an average of 111. Currently, Pujara is the second-highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy. In a recent match against Jharkhand, he has smashed 243 runs. He also has achieved 20,00 runs feat in first-class cricket. With this form, he may get the attention of the selectors and he can also be the idle replacement for Virat.
#2 Rajat Patidar
Rajat Patidar source (Twitter)
Rajat Patidar has also performed well in first-class cricket. He has been a good form for India A. In an unofficial Test match against England Lions Rajat Patidar scored two consecutive tons for India A in Ahmedabad. His average in first-class cricket is 45.97. For a long time, Patidar has been waiting to play for India. With Virat Kohli not available for the first two tests he might get a chance to play XI against England.
#1 Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan source (Twitter)
Sarfaraz Khan who is known as a domestic run machine may get the attention of the selectors. He has been giving good performances in domestic cricket. His average in domestic cricket is 68.20. Since the start of 2022, Sarfaraz’s average is 88. He had played a knock of 96 runs for India A against England Lions followed by a a half-century in the second innings in an unofficial Test match. Due to his poor fitness and attitude, he was neglected by the selectors for a long time. Now he has the opportunity to show what kind of player he is.