Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen of all time & there is no doubt about that. He has performed whenever team India needed him & he has outperformed himself every now & then. Not only as a great batsman, but Kohli has also proved himself as the best skipper of the team in all forms. Because of his ability to lead the team, India is in the finals of the first-ever World Test Championship.
In Feb 2020, the Indian skipper did mention his plans to retire from one of the formats after the 2023 world cup. He hasn’t decided on which format he will be leaving but there is a hint that he will leave ODI. The million-dollar question which everyone is asking after the hint is that who can be as best as Kohli & fulfill the void for the team which Virat’s absence will make.
In this article, we will look at players who can replace Virat Kohli post his retirement.
1) Rishabh Pant
The name which tops our list is the talented youngster from Delhi Rishabh Pant. Pant has always made headlines with his performance for team India. In 2020 his international performance was not as good as expected but it all changed at the beginning of 2021. Recently, he has also had a chance to lead the Delhi Capitals gained some experience of captainship as well. Apparently, he really did a great job with a team as DC was the 3rd team on the list before the IPL got suspended.
2) Shubhan Gill
The young gun from Bathinda, Shubman Gill has shown his extraordinary batting skills & is touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket. Although Gill is new to international cricket he has already shown that he is someone who is solid & has a long-term plan to stay with the team. The top-order batsman has played 21 first-class matches, where he has aggregated 2,133 runs at an average of 73.55. His highest score of 268 shows that he has the capability to play a marathon knock in the longest format of the game.
3) Hanuma Vihari
One of the most important members of the Indian squad is Hanuma Vihari. He is young blood with lot of hunger to prove him for the team. Surly, Vihari has comparatively less experience when it comes to international cricket but he has proven himself in the WTC championship & has made a mark in test cricket. Looking at the amount of time Virat Kohli has to retire, Vihari will do wonders & will gain experience of all the formats till the time come.
4) KL Rahul
The most experienced & hardworking player in the Indian squad & in this list is KL Rahul. KL Rahul has proven his worth in all three formats & he has maintained his consistent performance in the IPL tournament. He also holds a good amount of experience in leading the team as he is leading Punjab Kings in IPL for the past 2 tournaments. He had played an instrumental role in India’s 5-0 T20I series win over New Zealand. Rahul followed that up with some phenomenal performances as a middle-order batsman in the ODIs.
