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4 Players Who Could Replace Virat Kohli At No.3 In Team India If He Retires From ODIs: Sai Sudharsan, Sanju Samson And...
Virat Kohli last played for India in March during the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai. The future of Virat in international cricket remains uncertain with several media reports claiming that the current team management is looking to move on from him and Rohit Sharma in One-Day Internationals (ODI), with a focus on grooming youngsters for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Only time will tell when Kohli decides to move from international cricket. But India will have to find his replacement whenever he retires from international cricket. Replacing Virat in India’s ODI team will be a huge task, given his unmatched consistency and run-scoring ability at No. 3 over the years.
Let's take a look at 4 potential replacements for Virat Kohli in ODIs after his retirement:
1. Sai Sudharsan
Sai Sudharsan, a technically sound left-hander, has a fantastic List A record, scoring 1396 runs in 28 matches at an average of 60.69 and a strike rate of 95.61. When it comes to his List A record at No. 3, it's exceptional as Sai averages 102 at that position, making him a strong candidate to anchor the innings like Kohli. He made his ODI debut for India against South Africa at Johannesburg on December 17, 2023 and has scored 127 runs in three matches with an average of 63.50 so far. His temperament and consistency in domestic cricket as well as in the IPL project him as a future star. (Pic credit: ICC)
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad
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In his short international cricket, Ruturaj Gaikwad has shown promise but he hasn't been able to cement his place in the Indian team. He has been in an out of the Indian setup due tough competition, injury and various other reasons.
However, his List A record is pretty good, scoring 4324 runs in 86 matches with an average of 56.15 with the help of 16 centuries and 17 fifties. He also has been very consistent for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL in the last few years. His risk-averse shot making, ability to anchor innings and bat according to the game situation, make him a ideal candidate to replace Virat Kohli at No. 3 in ODIs in near future.(Pic Credit: IANS)
Ruturaj Gaikwad's Record In ODIs
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Ruturaj Gaikwad made his ODI debut for India against South Africa at Lucknow on October 06, 2022. He has scored 115 runs in 6 ODIs with one half-century so far. (Pic Credit: IANS)
3. Sanju Samson
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Sanju Samson last played for India in ODI cricket on December 21, 2023 against South Africa and scored a century (108 off 114) while batting at No.3 in that match, which 'Men in Blue' won by 78 runs. During his short ODI career, he has shown that he is a very capable batter in the 50-over format.
Samson, a versatile batter, who has all the shots in white ball cricket, can be an ideal candidate to replace Virat Kohli at No. 3 in ODIs in near future. (Pic Credit: IANS)
Sanju Samson's Record In ODIs
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Sanju Samson, who made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka at Colombo on July 23, 2021, has scored 510 runs in 16 matches with an average of 56.66 so far in the 50-over cricket. (Pic Credit: IANS)
4. Tilak Varma
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Tilak Varma, has been the one of the most consistent batters for India as well as Mumbai Indians in T20 cricket in the last few years. Tilak's aggressive yet composed approach suits the modern ODI game, and his ability to play long innings makes him a contender to replace Virat Kohli at No. 3 in ODIs in near future. (Pic Credit: IANS)
Tilak Varma's Record In ODIs
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Tilak Varma made his ODI debut against Bangladesh at Colombo on September 15, 2023 and has scored 68 runs in 4 matches so far. (Pic Credit: IANS)
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