Virat Kohli's Successor In Team India Identified. Not Shubman Gill, KL Rahul But A Surrey Player
Virat Kohli 's sudden Test retirement just ahead of the Test series against England has left a big hole in the team combination that might take a long time to be filled. Virat Kohli at No. 4 was a symbol of stability through the years though his returns in Tests in recent years was not really what it was during his peak in the mid-2010s. Now that Kohli has retired, it's time for a young crop of players to take over the mantle. Many reports have predicted Shubman Gill to take over the No.4 slot in England with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal being the openers. Debutant Sai Sudharshan is predicted to be the No. 3 batter.
Former England spinner Monty Panesar has tipped Sai Sudharshan 'to be the next superstar of Indian cricket and take on the role that Virat Kohli did at number four."
"There are some really good youngsters in the team at the moment. One particular batsman is a Surrey player, Sai Sudharsan. He looks very aggressive and fearless. He's a player who's done well in English conditions and for Surrey. I think he could be the next superstar of Indian cricket and take on the role that Virat Kohli did at number four,' Panesar told I nsideSport.
'The one thing I'd like to do is carry on the legacy of Virat Kohli. The way he played Test cricket, I would like to see the young Indian Test play like that.'
Sai Sudharshan had in 2023 played for County side Surrey and received his cap from Alec Stewart.
Earlier, new India captain Shubman Gill hinted that the team management will take a call on the batting order after the India's Intra-Squad match that starts on June 13.
"We haven't really decided on the...we still have some time. We will be playing intra squad match and we will be having a 10-day camp in London, so we still have a little bit of time. I think we can decide on the batting order once we go there," he said.
India has not yet confirmed how many matches Jasprit Bumrah will feature in during the upcoming five-Test series in England. However, captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir remain confident that the team's fast-bowling depth will cover his possible absence.
"We haven't taken that call, which three games is he going to play. We are going to have a discussion with him and depending on the series as well. A lot will depend on the results of the series, where the series is heading. That is something which I am sure he is very well aware of as well and that is important," said head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
33 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Man City squad for Club World Cup: Jack Grealish left out; four new signings included
Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City's squad for the Club World Cup. City manager Pep Guardiola named a 27-man squad for the tournament, which kicks off in Miami on Saturday, with Grealish a notable omission. The England forward was a British record signing when he moved to City from Aston Villa for 100 million pounds ($139 million then) in 2021 and went on to help the club win three Premier League titles, the Champions League and a host of other trophies. But he has become an increasingly peripheral figure and made only seven league starts last season. The 29-year-old Grealish's absence from the Club World Cup will add to the growing expectation that he will leave during the offseason, with Guardiola embarking on a squad rebuild following the team's first trophyless season in eight years. City's squad includes four new players signed in time to take part in the month-long tournament in the United States: Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcus Bettinelli. In January, City also spent big to sign Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis as Guardiola began his overhaul of a squad that saw its dominance of English football broken by Liverpool last season. If Grealish goes, he is likely to be one of a number of players to move on. Kevin De Bruyne is leaving at the end of his contract this month and Kyle Walker is also likely to go after a loan move to AC Milan in January; as expected, neither player was in the squad. City's first match at the 32-team tournament is against Wydad Casablanca next Wednesday in Philadelphia. The other teams in the group are Juventus and Abu Dhabi's Al Ain.
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘60 overs of hell' for England after a KL Rahul masterclass: The best of India in England Part 4
Bang in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, India had fought back against all odds to secure a dramatic second successive series win in Australia in January 2021, then bounced back from the loss of the first Test in Chennai against England to surge to a 3-1 triumph in March to secure their place in the final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand in June. With the quarantine restrictions in place, a large contingent left for Southampton hoping to lay their hands on the one trophy yet to adorn their cupboard, but disappointment was in store when the Kiwis eased to an eight-wicket victory. India were to play five subsequent Tests in England, their first assignment in the new WTC cycle, but the first game wouldn't start for another month and a half, in Nottingham. A semblance of normalcy had returned to England while India was just recovering from the debilitating effects of the second wave, so it was decided that the players would not return home. After a couple of weeks of rest and relaxation, the team assembled for a ten-day camp in Durham ahead of the first Test, which ended in a stalemate with the weather playing spoilsport. Over to Lord's then, and Act Two of what would turn out to be a compelling series. Rohit Sharma's sustained commitment to playing the role of the 'traditional' opener during the Durham camp had netted him 36 and 12 not out at Trent Bridge; at Lord's, he ramped it up with a fluent 83, adding 126 for the first wicket with centurion KL Rahul to negate Joe Root's decision to stick India in. Rahul was in supreme touch and the rest batted around him as India reached 331 for five, eyeing a total in excess of 400, when James Anderson – who else? – triggered a dramatic collapse which produced five wickets for just 33 runs. Through Root's unbeaten 180 and his century stand with Jonny Bairstow, England grabbed a narrow lead when Jasprit Bumrah decided it was time to up the action. A rattled Anderson went wicketless, but Mark Wood rocked the Indian top order as the visitors stumbled to 181 for six at close on day four, a lead of 208 with England having their noses in front. Rishabh Pant, overnight 14, loomed as the key wicket, but when he and Ishant Sharma fell within 15 runs of each other at the start of day five, India were in all sorts of trouble at 209 for eight. The sight of Bumrah walking in was like a red rag to a bull as England swarmed all over him, returning the compliment with a barrage of short balls. Anderson admitted later that he allowed his emotions to get the better of him. Bumrah rode the short balls beautifully and played booming strokes when the ball was pitched up; at the other end, Shami was enjoying himself as England went to pieces. Shami reached his second Test fifty with a six and the ninth-wicket stand had reached 89 when Virat Kohli applied the closure 10 minutes after lunch, setting England 272 for victory in a possible 60 overs of 'hell' as famously termed by Virat Kohli during the huddle. This was in the pre-Bazball era and England were in the middle of a horror run in Test cricket. Any thoughts they might have entertained of making a fist of it evaporated within ten deliveries of their chase when Bumrah and Shami accounted for openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley respectively with just one run on the board. From there on, it was a desperate struggle for survival with Root again central to the hosts' designs of emerging unscathed. Bumrah produced a beauty to dismiss the England captain in the first over after tea. India were buzzing and a large pro-Indian crowd drove the team on. Bumrah was sensational – his dismissal of Ollie Robinson with a slower ball was mesmeric – and Mohammed Siraj reprised his four-wicket haul of the first innings, disturbing Anderson's furniture with 49 deliveries still remaining. England were shot out for 120 in just 51.5 overs as India pulled a rabbit out of the hat, riding on belief and the strength of their pace attack to race home to a 151-run triumph. India: 364 all out in 126.1 overs (Rohit Sharma 83, KL Rahul 129, Virat Kohli 42, Rishabh Pant 37, Ravindra Jadeja 40; James Anderson 5-62, Ollie Robinson 2-73, Mark Wood 2-91) and 298/8 decl. in 109.3 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 45, Ajinkya Rahane 61, Mohammed Shami 56 n.o., Jasprit Bumrah 34 n.o.; Robinson 2-45, Wood 3-51, Moeen Ali 2-84) beat England: 391 all out in 128 overs (Rory Burns 49, Joe Root 180 n.o., Jonny Bairstow 57, Moeen 27; Ishant Sharma 3-69, Shami 2-95, Mohammed Siraj 4-94) and 120 all out in 51.5 overs (Root 33, Jos Buttler 25; Bumrah 3-33, Siraj 4-32, Ishant 2-13) by 151 runs. Player of the Match: KL Rahul.
Indian Express
36 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘We didn't need words': AB de Villiers pens heartfelt note of RCB, Virat Kohli and fans
Bonafide Royal Challengers Bengaluru and South Africa legend AB de Villiers played for the franchise for 11 years but never lifted the Indian Premier League trophy till the day he left them. But on June 3, he got the opportunity to get his hands on the coveted trophy after Virat Kohli invited him to take part in RCB's victory celebrations after the franchise finally won their maiden title after a long wait. The Protea icon on Thursday shared an emotional love letter to the fans and the franchise on his social media, detailing what it means for him, the team and Kohli to finally lift the elusive trophy. 'Dear RCB Family, last night was something words will never fully do justice to you. But I'll try because the heart deserves to speak when it's full. As I walked into the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the sun had already dipped below the skyline, but it felt like the red of RCB still lit up the horizon. A neutral venue, they said. But when I heard the roar, saw the jerseys, the flags, the faces painted with red and gold, I knew this was home,' he said. A Letter to the RCB Family 💌 Written on 4 June 2025 En-route from Ahmedabad to Johannesburg, SA ✈️ #RCB — AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) June 11, 2025 'Somehow, even in the West of India, it felt like we were back at the Chinnaswamy. What I witnessed was not just a cricket match but a culmination. A culmination of belief, heart breaks, near misses, miracles and an undying loyalty that no trophy until now had been able to reward.' 'But last night, it happened. RCB, the team that became family to me, are champions of the IPL. It feels good to say that it was a moment I had dreamed of. But even in these wildest dreams, I couldn't have imagined it. This perfect. The foundation of this franchise, the leadership, the passion, the people behind the scenes should never stop working. The fans should never stop believing all came together like never before. That's what made this so much more than just a victory. And then, as if the night hadn't already stirred every emotion, there was Virat standing at long-off right in front of me. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and that was all it took. We didn't need words. In that quiet exchange, everything was understood. The years, the near misses, the weight we both carried for this dream.' 'There were tears, yes, but more than that, there was a deep, unspoken knowing. We've shared countless innings, conversations and battles together. But the words he spoke after the game, the way he acknowledged our journey, contributions and shared memories, it touched a part of me that few things in this game ever have. That moment reminded me it's not about the numbers, it's about the connections. It's about what we leave behind in each other's stories. To see players like Rajat, Devdutt and even some of the newer faces who were just youngsters when I played, now stepping up on the biggest stage, it was surreal. I've seen their raw potential, their hunger in the nets, their excitement just to share a dressing room, and now they've turned that promise into history and I couldn't be prouder.' 'To the RCB management, to the coaching staff, to the ever-loyal fans, and to every single player who's worn this jersey, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this beautiful legacy. Even though I wasn't out there batting last night, a piece of my heart always will be. This title means more because of the journey that came before it, and for me, this will always be one of the greatest joys of my life – seeing the team I love finally lift that trophy with all my love, pride and gratitude, Your Mr. 360,'
