Virat Kohli retires: 3 batsmen who can replace him in middle-order in test cricket

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from test cricket on May 12.

After Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from test cricket, Virat Kohli also followed his path and stunned everyone with his test retirement effective immediately. It has put an end to one of the best test careers the game has ever seen.

In 14 years, Virat Kohli took test cricket to another level, and he was one of the most loyal servants to this format. His aggressive hunger and desire drove him these many years, but his retirement has left a big hole in the Indian test team.

Virat Kohli was a leader with the bat, and his presence was invaluable for the team. Now, India need someone who can be as effective as him in the middle order. On that note, let’s talk about three players who can potentially replace Virat Kohli in the middle order.

Three batsmen who can replace him in middle-order in test cricket

1. Sai Sudharsan

The left-hander from Tamil Nadu, Sai Sudharsan, has made some giant progress in the last couple of years. His success has made him a promising talent for the Indian cricket team. His current form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has already impressed everyone, and his maturity has been unparalleled.

The left-hander has played four white-ball matches for India and have two fifties in three innings. He is a solid batter against spin and pace. He has so far played 29 First Class (FC) cricket matches, in which he has scored 1957 runs at an average of over 55, including seven hundreds.

2. Shreyas Iyer

It has been a dream comeback for Shreyas Iyer in international cricket. From being sacked from the central contracts to finishing as India’s highest scorer in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Iyer has been at the top of his game.

And now, with him playing the short balls and his improved batting against pace, he has made himself a potential option to have in the middle order in test cricket as well. He has been in great form in the IPL 2025, and it won’t be a surprise if India use him in the upcoming England tour in the middle order.

3. Karun Nair

Only two Indian batters have scored a triple hundred in tests, and Karun Nair is one of them. He had a great start to his test career in 2016, but faded away after some string of low scores.

But his phenomenal form in the last year or so across all three formats at the domestic level has brought his name into contention for a spot in the test side once again. He is an experienced candidate, and his red-ball pedigree makes him a potential option to replace Virat Kohli in India’s middle-order.

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