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Saturday evening came as a shocker for the Indian Cricket Team fans as Virat Kohli announced an end to his 7-year long Test captaincy stint. After a 1-2 series defeat to South Africa, Kohli looked furious but no one would have expected such a big decision from the 33-year-old. Also, while stepping down from T20I captaincy, Kohli had given elongating Test captaincy as one of the reasons. However, since now he has decided to play under someone else, the question arises, who can replace Virat Kohli as India's next Test captain?
SportsTiger looks at 3 Players who can be India's Test captain after Virat Kohli:
1. KL Rahul
The first and foremost name that comes to people's minds is KL Rahul. The Karnataka batter acted as the vice-captain of India in the recently concluded series against South Africa. He also captained in the second Test at Johannesburg in Virat Kohli's absence. Although he lost his first Test match as captain, Rahul looks like one of the captaincy options. He will also be acting as the captain in the ODI series and the sectors will closely watch him taking up the role. Also, if BCCI is looking for someone as a long-term option, KL Rahul can be groomed for the role. Notably, while KL Rahul the batsman has impressed everyone, KL the captain is yet to prove his mettle. And replacing someone like Virat Kohli is a big challenge in itself.
2. Rohit Sharma
After Virat Kohli left the white-ball captaincy, the reins were handed to the second most experienced player in the team i.e. Rohit Sharma. So, his name will definitely surface up for the role. Also, he is already the vice-captain of the team in Tests. However, there are two things that can go against Sharma. The first is his injury woes and the second and most important one is that he is already 34 and BCCI will hesitate in investing in someone like him.
3. Jasprit Bumrah
This can be a bit shocking for most people but to an extent, Bumrah looks like a better option. The selectors have trusted him to play as Rahul's deputy for the upcoming ODI series which shows that they are considering him for the leadership role. Plus, after Virat Kohli, the most consistent name in the XI is Jasprit Bumrah. He is a proven match-winner for India already (as a player) which may compel the Chetan Sharma-led selection panel to appoint him as Virat's successor.