The news of Virat Kohli’s abrupt withdrawal from the first two Tests against England stunned all of the supporters.
The news of Virat Kohli’s abrupt withdrawal from the first two Tests against England stunned all of the supporters. According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kohli missed the first two matches due to ‘personal issues’. As the first Test begins on Thursday in Hyderabad, everyone is keen to know who will replace the famous India batsman in the side. According to speculations, Rajat Patidar of Royal Challengers Bangalore will replace Kohli in the Indian lineup for the first two matches.
Patidar has been vying for a spot on the national squad for some time now, notably after scoring 151 against the England Lions in Ahmedabad last week. He also scored 111 points in the Lions warm-up game. According to recent reports, he has now joined the squad.
Patidar also attended the BCCI Naman Awards in Hyderabad on Tuesday. His decision indicates that the national selection committee is unwilling to give veterans like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane a second chance, while domestic stalwart Sarfaraz Khan must also wait.
Previously, former India opener Aakash Chopra suggested that Rinku Singh may be one of the options to succeed Kohli. Rinku is emerging as one of India’s top finishers. However, he has yet to make his debut in the long format.
Chopra remarked that Rinku’s skill is not confined to the white-ball game, since he is also an excellent first-class cricket player.
“How about Rinku Singh?” He was kept on the team in South Africa. He’s not a one-trick pony. It’s not only that he plays white ball. It’s not that he’s only a Twenty20 player. Check his first-class numbers, and he is returning to play first-class cricket whenever he gets the opportunity,” Chopra stated on his YouTube channel.
The acclaimed analyst also suggested veteran India hitter Cheteshwar Pujara as a replacement for Kohli, but said that the management may have moved on the 35-year-old batter.
“Cheteshwar Pujara is one of only four Indians to have scored over 20,000 first-class runs.” He recently hit a double century. Form is with him, and he has a solid Test record. He works hard and plays county cricket as well. He is a serious cricketer. “In fact, I call him the monk of Indian cricket,” Chopra added.
“So you can choose him. However, I believe that India is not looking in that path. They’ve already begun searching in a different direction. Cheteshwar Pujara is a legitimate possibility, but do the Indian selectors even consider him? That is the question we must ask and consider,” he added.
