5 Players Who Can Replace Rohit Sharma As India’s Test Opener
Published - 11 Jun 2023, 06:50 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:15 AM
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Rohit Sharma is the skipper of India. He also opens the innings for the team in all three formats. If we talk about Tests, Rohit Sharma has mustered 3437 runs in 50 games at an average of 45.22. The right-handed batsman has also shattered 9 centuries and 14 half-centuries in the longest format.
However, in the last two years, Sharma has failed to come up with a consistent performance in Tests. For instance, the Indian captain has a batting average of 37.50 in Tests this year. Last year, he held an average of 30.0. Few batsmen can be effective openers for Team India ahead of Rohit Sharma. Here we take a glance at 5 players who can replace Rohit Sharma as India’s Test opener.
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5 Players Who Can Replace Rohit Sharma As India’s Test Opener
5. Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Agarwal is the first Indian player who can replace Rohit Sharma as an opener in Tests. Agarwal was a regular opener for India in Tests till March 2022, when he last played against Sri Lanka.
Later, he was replaced by KL Rahul as an opener. Although the 32-year-old star has not played any game this year, he showed marvelous form in Ranji Trophy 2022-23. With 990 runs in 9 games at an average of 82.50, Agarwal finished as the top run-getter in the domestic tournament.
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4. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan is another player who can replace Rohit Sharma as an opener in the longest format. Although Kishan has not played any Tests so far, he is picked as the secondary wicketkeeper in ICC World Test Championship final.
The left-handed batsman plays as an opener in ODIs and T20Is and has also shattered a double century in ODIs too. Being 24 years old, he is a young star in the making. If he gets opportunities at the top, he can emerge as a useful investment for the team.
3. Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw is another good player to become an opener for India in Tests. Prithvi Shaw made his Test debut long back in 2018 when he scored a century against West Indies in his opening game.
However, so far, he has only played 5 Tests for the team, hitting 339 runs at an average of 42.37. The right-handed batter showed fabulous form in Ranji Trophy 2022-23 by hitting the second-highest individual score of 379 in one game.
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2. KL Rahul
KL Rahul was the Test opener for India in many games during the last few years. However, with Shubman Gill’s rise as an opener, KL Rahul was dropped from the top order in the longest format. KL Rahul is facing a decline in his batting form.
However, the right-handed batsman has decent stats in the longest format, hitting 2642 runs in 47 Tests at an average of 33.44. Rahul has also shattered 7 tons and 13 fifties while playing in the whites. He will be a good option to take up the opener’s slot ahead of Rohit Sharma.
1. Abhimanyu Easwaran
Abhimanyu Easwaran is another good option on this list. The right-handed batsman has not played any Tests so far. He was picked in some Test series in the squad but did not make his debut.
In Ranji Trophy 2022-23, Easwaran scored 798 runs in 8 games at an average of 66.50 to finish as the 7th highest run-getter in the tournament. He has been a consistent performer in First-Class cricket and if he gets the opportunity as Team India Test opener, he can emerge into a successful batter.
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