India tour of England 2025: Who will replace Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in playing XI? A look at likely contenders

For an Indian Test cricketer, challenges don't come bigger than a trip to England. Technique and temperament are tested in epic proportions, and the tour could define which route you take forward as a player. For Shubman Gill, there is more on the plate. In his short international career, the new India Test captain is yet to solidify his credentials in the longest format of the game. Also, In addition to this comes the mantle of captaincy, and unlike his predecessors, Gill has a tough away assignment to begin with.

In such a scenario, the recent retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have created a definite void in the batting line-up. The veterans had struggled to find form in recent times, but their experience could have been invaluable in what is set to be a challenging tour for India's young brigade. Much like captaincy, India's batting transitions have also seldom begun away from home, particularly outside the sub-continent. Apart from the obvious challenges associated with captaincy, the Gill era will also have the daunting task of finding replacements for Kohli and Rohit.

Replacing legends is never an easy task, and it is usually about carrying forward the legacy created by predecessors, rather than attempting to impersonate them. So then, who are the contenders to sit on the thrones left vacant by two of India's most influential cricketers? Before the Indian team's departure to England on June 5, Gill chose to keep the cards close to his chest and stressed that decisions would be taken after the intra-squad practice game between India and India A, scheduled to be held in the coming week.

However, let's take a look at the potential candidates who could have a shot at glory during this gruelling tour.

Abhimanyu Easwaran

At 29, Easwaran isn't technically a youngster, but he has done the hard yards in domestic cricket, aggregating over 7,500 runs in first-class cricket at a healthy average of 48. This includes 27 centuries and 30 fifties, a stat that also shows his ability to convert starts into bigger scores. Easwaran is arguably the most solid batter among the uncapped players and could find himself batting in the top-three, with skipper Gill likely to take up the no. 4 slot. Easwaran is the old-school Test batter who thrives on grinding out bowling attacks with patience. Over the years, Easwaran has been a consistent part of India's A side and often shortlisted to make it to the longest format of the game. The Bengal batter has previously found himself in the India Test squad, but a berth in the XI remained elusive. That wait could finally be over.

Karun Nair

In just his fourth Test innings, Nair scored a triple hundred. But, just three innings later, he found himself out of the squad. After a nine-year hiatus, Nair is back in the mix. The 33-year-old comes on the back of an astounding domestic season, during which he made headlines with his performances across all three formats. Nair topped the 50-over competition with 779 runs, including five hundreds from just eight innings. In the shortest format, the volume of runs wasn't huge, but he still struck three fifties from six innings at an impressive strike rate of 177. The most relevant criteria, the Ranji Trophy, is where Nair upped his game considerably, finishing fourth in the list of run-getters and playing a critical part in Vidarbha's runners-up finish. A natural stroke-maker who is pleasing on the eye, Nair's modus operandi lies in counter-attack while also having a solid defence. His recent County experience and the double hundred during the India A-England A clash last week indicate that Nair could be a starter in the England series.

Sai Sudharsan

The Tamil Nadu batter's inclusion may have come as a surprise to some, given that only his IPL performances have had immense popularity. Sudharsan was the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2025 and also had a strong 2024 season, where he churned out 524 runs. However, Sudharsan's work in the longer formats has also had a quiet progression during this period. The left-hander had a brief stint in the County Championship, where he scored a century for Surrey. Sudharsan's first-class average of 39.96 appears to be underwhelming on the surface, but he has also had to play a large share of his cricket on tougher pitches. Meanwhile, he has made a strong start to List A cricket, averaging 60 in the format. In addition to having the X-factor of being a left-hander, Sudharsan has a competent technique, even if not flawless. The 23-year-old's temperament is his standout quality and chief selector Ajit Agarkar also mentioned this while announcing the Test squad.

Though not a like-for-like replacement for either Kohli or Sharma, Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar, too, will fancy their chances of making the playing XI against England.

Nitish Reddy

With Hardik Pandya unofficially out of Test cricket, India's quest for a seam-bowling all-rounder led them to Nitish Reddy. While not a genuine pacer yet and not a like-for-like replacement for either Kohli or Sharma, Reddy's medium pace has been handy, more so when conditions have assisted the seamers. However, it is his batting that has come of age in the last two years. Reddy had an underwhelming IPL 2025 but it was also a season where he was coming back from a side strain. His domestic numbers are far from ideal across formats but Reddy is the kind of player that India have backed by punting on his potential. He has made an impressive start to his Test career, being one of the bright spots in India's forgettable recent Test tour to Australia. Reddy stood tall in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, often shepherding the team in crisis against Australia's pace attack. The century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was one of high quality and is indicative of Reddy's immense potential. In English conditions, a seam-bowling all-rounder could help in team balance and the Andhra lad might find himself in the race.

Washington Sundar

The wildcard in this race, Sundar isn't your textbook candidate for filling up a middle-order spot but he is also a misunderstood talent. By design, the Tamil Nadu lad is a specialist batter who can bowl effective off-spin. However, his rise to fame in IPL 2017 came due to the lesser skill and has been touted to be his major weapon over the years. As a result, Sundar found himself batting lower down the order at no. 6/7/8 and mostly indulging in bowling. It must also be said that his off-spin has proven to be of great value, across all formats. However, Sundar's main game lies in his batting credentials. He has the ability to handle high pace and is efficient against spin like most Indian batters. The southpaw has a Test average of 43, which is impressive considering that he has mostly batted lower down the order. Sundar already has a few impressive crisis knocks to his name, the most famous being the one at the Gabba against Australia in 2020-21. For India to mix up their pace and spin options, Sundar would be a tempting choice.