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The Indian cricket team is set to host England for a five-match Test series starting on January 25. While the home-ground factor would boost the hosts, they will be without their batting mainstay Virat Kohli in the first two games. The star batter withdrew from the first two games of the series due to personal reasons, and as per the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), he spoke to skipper Rohit Sharma and the management. Not only this, but the board has called for fans to respect his privacy.
The board is yet to announce Kohli’s replacement in the squad, but it is expected that the selectors will soon reveal the name of the cricketer who will join the hosts.
Three players who can replace Virat Kohli
In this article, we will have a look at three names that can get the national call for the forthcoming two-month-long series.
Cheteshwar Pujara
The veteran Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara is a frontrunner to replace Kohli for the first two Tests against the former world champions. The 35-year-old might not be a regular name in the Indian squad at the highest level; however, he has been scoring runs in the domestic cricket off late. Pujara, who represents Saurashtra in the Ranji, slammed his 17th double hundred against Jharkhand in January 2024. Pujara has hit more than 20,000 first-class runs, which includes more than 7000 runs in Tests. Considering his experience and current form, it would be safe to say that he might be the selectors’ top choice to replace Kohli.
