Just a few days ago, Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket. Kohli used to bat at number four in the red-ball format, and with his departure, the position has now become vacant. There has been much speculation about who will replace him at this crucial spot. Now, ahead of Team India’s tour of England, Karun Nair has made a strong case for himself by scoring a commanding century.
Who Will Replace Virat Kohli?
The first first-class match between India A and England Lions began May 30. India A was invited to bat first. While Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Abhimanyu Easwaran failed to score big, Karun Nair impressed with a superb unbeaten 186, staking his claim as Virat Kohli’s potential successor at number four.
Interestingly, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar recently suggested that Nair could be a suitable replacement for Kohli in the Test format. Although Nair batted at number three in this match, he typically occupies the number four position. At the time of writing, he had scored 102 runs off 165 balls.
181-Run Partnership With Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan also stood out in the match against England Lions, despite not being selected for the England tour. He shared a massive 181-run partnership with Karun Nair, contributing a well-crafted 92 off 119 balls.
It’s worth noting that Karun Nair last played a Test match for India in 2017. Now, after nearly seven years, he has reignited hopes of a comeback with this century.
Brief Scores:
India A: 409/3 in 90 overs
(Karun Nair 186; Sarfaraz Khan 92, Dhruv Jurel 82*; Josh Hull 2/51)*
Indian Squad for England Tour:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
