After Virat’s imminent Test retirement, a look at five players who can be India’s man for crisis in England

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket team has found itself in a precarious situation after batting maestro Virat Kohli announced his Test retirement on Monday, a month before the five high-stakes fixtures in England.

Virat has been the backbone of the Indian Test setup with his impregnable stance and rollicking performances for the last 14 years. His imminent departure has left India short of an experienced and robust figure who willingly absorbed the pressure that the opposition threw at them.

In India’s present pool of talent, a couple of budding and solidified figures have been knocking on the door and taking the brunt off Virat’s shoulders. The moment could finally be here for some of them as India bolsters its preparations for the tour that could arguably make or break India’s World Test Championship campaign.

Sai Sudharsan

The young opening southpaw who has bided his time in India’s domestic circuit and has carved out his name as a future all-format prospect stands out as one of the prominent names to fill the everlasting void left by Virat. The 23-year-old Tamil Nadu batter ran rampant with his sizzling batting display and mustered up 304 runs in three Ranji Trophy matches at 76.00, including a double-hundred, a century and a fifty each. When one dives deeper, Sudharsan has featured in 29 First-Class fixtures, racked up 1,957 runs, averaging nearly 40, glistened with seven centuries and five half-centuries.

Shreyas Iyer

The upcoming England tour could be the perfect platform for Shreyas to write the final chapter of his redemption arc and cement his place in India’s Test fold. From being out of favour to changing the mind of selectors with his consistent swagger, Shreyas has come a long way in his journey. While he is still a rookie, considering his 14 Tests and 811 runs in international cricket. However, the domestic setup is riddled with his stories of success. While representing Mumbai, in his last Ranji Trophy campaign, Shreyas garnered 480 runs from five matches for Mumbai, averaging 68.57 while striking fiercely at a rate of 90.22.

KL Rahul

The perpetual saviour and India’s man in crisis, KL Rahul, is another strong candidate for the number four spot in the upcoming England tour. The experienced wicketkeeper batter has a history of shifting through different positions. With his textbook-perfect technique, Rahul has decoded the formula of success. The 33-year-old, who has previously toured England, could be the player who defines India’s upcoming tour. He has tallied 614 runs at 34.11 in nine Tests, boasting two tons and a fifty.

Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz debuted against England last year in Rajkot on the back of his prolific run in domestic cricket. In the same year, he notched a swashbuckling century against New Zealand but warmed the bench for the entire Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The 27-year-old has handsomely piled up runs in First Class cricket with 4,593 under his belt at a stellar average of 65.61 while striking ferociously at 70.73.

Karun Nair

Karun, who asked for a second chance with a heartfelt tweet in December 2022, made the most of the opportunity while representing Vidarbha domestically. The man who is just the second Indian to blaze his way to a triple hundred exhibited quintessential form, which has pushed a case for his return to the Indian team since his last Test in 2017. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in last season’s Ranji Trophy with a staggering tally of 863 in nine appearances at 53.93.

Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane

India is well short in the experience department for the England tour; Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane could be the answer to filling the vacant gap the former India captain left. Pujara, who has already made himself available for the tour, enjoyed a fruitful outing when he last visited England.

The last time Pujara represented India in a Test was back in 2021. He piled up 306 runs in five matches and 10 innings at an average of 34.00, with three fifties. His best score was 91. Meanwhile, Rahane didn’t have the best time in his last outing in England and scored 109 runs in four matches at an average of 15.57, with one fifty. (ANI)