Who Could Replace Virat Kohli at No. 3 If He Retires? Experts Weigh In on India’s Future ODI Line-Up

The ongoing decline in Virat Kohli's ODI performance has led to discussions about potential candidates to take his place at the crucial No. 3 position in the Indian batting order if he opts to retire from the 50-over format, and these discussions have become more intense. The ex-captain, who is often called the 'GOAT' of current cricket, was on the receiving end of a rare slump in this current ODI series against Australia, registering two consecutive ducks for the first time in his career.

Kohli has already stepped away from both formats of the game, and he is now under a lot of pressure regarding his future in ODIs. The ace batsman has scored a little over 300 runs this year at a nonchalant average of 33.30—very different from his career-best numbers. His latest innings, which included a first-ball duck at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, have once again opened up discussions about the young Indian batting line-up.

Possible Contenders for the No. 3 Spot

With Kohli’s uncertainty over his future, there are quite a few names of young talented players being thrown around as replacements for the No. 3 position—which has always been associated with the qualities of recklessness, versatility and mental toughness.

1. KL Rahul:

KL Rahul is a top-order batsman by nature and has also been a part-time wicketkeeper, so with his extensive experience and ability to stay calm he will be able to do that. Rahul’s batting in various positions has given him a good grip of the game, and thus he looks to be a strong contender for the No. 3 spot.

2. Sai Sudharsan:

Sudharsan, the left-handed batsman from Tamil Nadu, has been able to get the attention of the selectors and the cricket lovers through his composed mindset and nice batting technique. His skills to hold up the innings and jump in tempo when needed can prove to be beneficial for the long-term one-down role in the batting lineup.

3. Rajat Patidar:

Kohli’s fellow player at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajat Patidar, is having an exceptional domestic season; he is currently the leading batsman in List A cricket with four centuries and three fifties. He is calm but also aggressive at the same time; these are the qualities that are being compared with Kohli who was once the epitome of modern-day batting.

4. Ruturaj Gaikwad:

Ruturaj Gaikwad has a very attractive batting style and is acknowledged for his intelligent approach towards the game and he has more than 4,300 domestic runs at a strike rate of 100 plus. He can be the one who holds the middle-order very strongly, especially when playing in the foreign conditions.

Australia Clinch Series as India Falter

On the other hand, the second ODI at Adelaide Oval saw India losing to Australia by two wickets thus giving the series victory to the latter. Rohit Sharma's 73 off 97 balls and Shreyas Iyer's contribution of 61 were the only bright spots in India's dismal showing of 264/9. The Australian batting pair of Matthew Short (74) and Cooper Connolly (61) took their team to the winning target with more than three overs remaining.

Adam Zampa was the main bowler for Australia, grabbing 4 wickets for 60 runs, while Xavier Bartlett sent out Kohli early, thus continuing the hard times of the latter in this series.

As the Indian team looks ahead, the selectors and the fans are definitely very eager to see if Kohli will make a comeback or if the new face will take over one of the most challenging batting positions in cricket.

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