Renowned Indian batsman Virat Kohli has decided to skip the first two Tests of the upcoming India vs England series, citing personal reasons. The highly anticipated five-match Test series is set to commence on January 25 (Thursday) in Hyderabad. Presently, there is no official replacement for Kohli, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has assured that an interim selection will be announced shortly.
The decision of Virat Kohli, the key batsman for the Indian team, to skip the first two Tests of the IND vs ENG series has definitely presented the hosts with a significant setback. Kohli has exhibited good form in recent Test matches. The veteran played a crucial role in India's drawn two-match Test series in South Africa earlier this year. Across the two Tests, Kohli accumulated a total of 172 runs in four innings, including a well-made half-century.
Who To Fill Kohli's Void In India's Playing 11?
With Kohli's absence, the question arises: who will take the No. 4 spot? It appears that Shreyas Iyer is the likely candidate to fill that position. And since Iyer will have to move up the order to fill in Kohli’s shoes, KS Bharat, on the back of an impressive 116 against England Lions recently, is likely to slot in at number 6. Despite Kohli's absence, India are expected to be the favourites on home soil. The composition of the playing XI for the opening Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad remains to be seen.
The expected batting order for the Indian team in the first IND vs ENG Test is as follows: Captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal would open, followed by Shubman Gill, at No. 3. With the top three positions secured, Shreyas Iyer is likely to fill the No. 4 spot in the lineup followed by KL Rahul and KS Bharat.
India’s Predicted Playing 11 For IND vs ENG 1st Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (WK), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Bumrah, Md. Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav