The star Indian batter or probably we can proudly say “Legendary” Virat Kohli has officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, marking the end of an outstanding 14-year career in the format. With the upcoming 5-match series against England starting from June 20, 2025, Team India faces the challenge of replacing a player of such high caliber.
Here are five potential candidates who could step into Virat Kohli’s shoes:
Rajat Patidar
The current RCB skipper Rajat Patidar’s recent performances have caught the eye, especially his leadership and solid batting in the middle. With a solid domestic record and a promising Test debut, Patidar could be a valuable addition to the middle order to replace Virat Kohli.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Confirms Test Cricket Retirement, Players Share Emotional Reaction
Shreyas Iyer
The emergence of Shreyas Iyer has been a massive boost to Team India’s FTP initiative. With his sheer batting and overcoming from his weakness of short-ball, Iyer made himself a formidable middle-order batter across all-formats.
Iyer played a pivotal role for Team India in Champions Trophy 2025 which they won. Now that Virat Kohli has announced his retired from Test cricket, Iyer might make his comeback in test against England in the upcoming tour.
Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan’s consistency and ability to play under pressure make him a compelling choice. He pilled up truckloads of runs in the domestic cricket which made him worthy to play in the longest format of the game. He played some amazing knocks for Team India in Tests and probably the only one to fill big shoes of Kohli’s stature.
Ajinkya Rahane
Surprising name on the list, Ajinkya Rahane has been an “Old Dark Horse” of the Indian Cricket Team. Rahane last played Test foe Team India in the final of WTC 2023 against Australia. Rahane’s resurgence with the bat made people in awe.
In the recent IPL 2025, Rahane has been a sensational with the bat scoring 375 runs and also leading KKR. Rahane might bring stability and give middle-order a big boost with his sheer experience.
Karun Nair
The last name on this list is Karun Nair. Nair has been in sheer form and shown promise with his excellent batting form in the domestic format. Nair, the only player after Virender Sehwag to score triple-hundred for India in Test cricket might be the one who can possibly replace Virat Kohli.
