Virat Kohli’s Test retirement has opened up a spot in the playing XI as India gear up for their tour of England. With Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin having also quit in recent times, there is a clear lack of experience as the Men in Blue head to the UK. And as Gautam Gambhir and the selectors scramble to replace their long-time No.4, Ajinkya Rahane continues to grind out at the MCA facility in Mumbai.
Can Ajinkya Rahane fill Virat Kohli’s void?
Ajinkya Rahane was Virat Kohli’s long-time batting partner and vice-captain. The Mumbai batsman even led India to a famous Border Gavaskar Trophy win in Australia in Kohli’s absence, leading a young, inexperienced team. However, since the highs of Gabba, Rahane has failed to cement his spot in the XI for certain.
The 36-year-old was dropped after a forgettable tour of South Africa in January 2022, only to be recalled for the World Test Championship Final in 2023. He top-scored in that game, and was vice-captain for the tour of West Indies that followed. However, in the two years since, Rahane has been out of India’s Test plans.
No rest days
pic.twitter.com/Uew50SpBPm
— Ajinkya Rahane (@Beast_xx_) May 12, 2025
In the meantime, Rahul Dravid and his successor Gautam Gambhir tried a host of options with limited success: Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal all made their debuts, while KL Rahul moved down the order. Now with Virat out of the picture, India’s middle order looks thin and lacking experience. Rahane brings a wealth of experience, having played in England on three tours.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra opined that India could look at Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara just for the India vs England series.
“Can the team go in that direction? Can they think from that point of view? I am voicing it because it’s the England tour. If it had been any other tour, I would have said ‘let’s go with kids.’ However, if both Kohli and Rohit are not there, maybe you want to think about Pujara or Rahane. Both are playing well and scoring runs,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Indian middle order batsmen
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 85 | 5077 | 38.46 | 26 | 12 |
| KL Rahul | 7 | 342 | 34.2 | 2 | 1 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 14 | 811 | 36.86 | 5 | 1 |
| Rajat Patidar | 3 | 63 | 10.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Devdutt Padikkal | 2 | 90 | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| Sarfaraz Khan | 6 | 371 | 37.1 | 3 | 1 |
Why not Rahane?
Every experienced player was a rookie once, and it is time for India to move on from the Mumbai batter. The 36-year-old averages 28 in England, with 7 50+ scores in 38 innings. Rahane has reinvented himself in the T20 format, but his form in red ball cricket is still patchy.
In the Ranji Trophy this season, the KKR skipper scored just 467 runs in 9 games, averaging 35.92. In 14 innings, the Mumbai batter scored only 1 fifty and 1 century. For context, Shreyas Iyer, his teammate, scored more in 7 innings at almost twice the average.
“Sai Sudharsan could be at No. 3, then Shubman Gill at No. 4, and Rishabh Pant at No. 5. You might think about keeping one among Nitish Kumar Reddy, Karun Nair and Sarfaraz Khan at No. 6. If you start thinking in that direction, there won’t be a place. I feel the Indian team might want to go in that direction,” Chopra added.
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