Top 3 Players To Replace Virat Kohli In Tests: Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket sent shockwaves across the cricketing landscape. The veteran Indian batter announced his retirement from the longest format of the game out of the blue on March 12, 2025.
Virat’s retirement leaves a massive hole in the Indian Cricket Team’s Test side. The modern-day great has been a regular No. 4 in the format for India for well over a decade, scoring runs across the world and making massive contributions as a player and an on-field leader.
But with Kohli leaving Test cricket behind, who will replace him in the Indian Test side? Who will be the heir to the king’s spot in the future? Here are the top 3 players to replace Virat Kohli in Tests.
Virat Kohli Retirement: Top 3 Players To Replace Virat Kohli In Tests
3) Dhruv Jurel
Dhruv Jurel has, so far, impressed in his small first-class cricket career, which includes four Test matches. Generally, a batter lower down the order, there is no reason that Dhruv cannot come in to bat at No. 4. He also provides an alternative to KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as a brilliant wicketkeeper.
Jurel has scored 202 runs in four Tests with an average of over 40. His average in FC cricket is 43.74. Still very young, Jurel has well over a decade of high-level cricket left in him and will be a surprising choice for India’s No. No.4 Test batter.
2) Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan is a lot of people’s favourite to be India’s new 4 in the longest format. After years of stellar first-class performances, he was finally given a chance to make his Test debut against England in 2024, in which he scored half-centuries in both innings. However, after disappointing in the last two Tests of the New Zealand series, Khan was dropped from the Test side for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and has not represented India since.
Sarfaraz, after 54 FC games, has scored over 4500 runs at an average of 65.61. He was even the highest Ranji Trophy run-scorer a couple of seasons ago. The 27-year-old is in the prime of his career and even scored his first ton, a 150 against New Zealand in only his fourth Test. Sarfaraz will be a player in a somewhat attacking mould, kind of like Rishabh Pant in Tests.
1) Sai Sudharsan
Seeing Sai Sudharsan score massive runs in domestic cricket or dispatching bowlers with ease, grace, and technique in the IPL is one of the most impressive sights in Indian cricket. However, with how he approaches limited-overs cricket, Sudharsan seems like the player who has a mastery in red-ball cricket but has adopted his style for the limited overs. But that is not the case, as the Tamil Nadu batter does not have the best FC stats.
In 29 first-class games, Sai has scored 1957 runs at an average of just under 40. Meanwhile, his average in ODI and List A cricket is over 60. However, after his stellar performances in IPL 2025, which see him at the top of the Orange Cap list, make him the frontrunner for the No. 4 spot and the successor to Virat Kohli in that spot. In the upcoming five-Test series against England, which is one of the biggest challenges for any young and new batter.
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