Follow UsIt was always believed that Virat Kohli would stretch his ODI career till the 2027 ODI World Cup, particularly after quitting the other two formats, but all the latest reports point towards ODI (and subsequently international) retirement for the 36-year-old.
Kohli has not played any cricket for India since March, and according to several sources, the management are looking to move on in ODIs from both him and Rohit Sharma, which will mean the Australia ODIs in October could prove to be a farewell series for both the stalwarts.
So, in the event of Kohli retiring from ODIs, who are the batters that could be integrated into the side by the Indian management?
With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill inevitably set to be locks for the opening slot, there is a good chance that India might deploy Sai Sudharsan at No.3 if and when Kohli retires.
The 23-year-old already has scored two fifties in three ODI knocks he’s played - all away in South Africa - and he has an outrageous List A record, averaging 60.69 while striking at over 95.00. He is a run-machine with a great temperament, and those are qualities that are perfect for a No.3 in ODI cricket.
And oh, he averages 102 at No.3 in List A cricket, with his scores in that position reading 53, 132* & 19, all coming in the Deodhar Trophy in 2023.
Not a straight swap at No.3, but Riyan Parag is someone who could get an extended run in ODIs if Kohli retires. Kohli’s retirement will enable someone like Shreyas Iyer to move to No.3, and the vacant position at No.4 can be occupied by Parag, who is a multi-dimensional player with an exceptional List A record.
Parag averages 41 in List A cricket but this number jumps to 55.25 at No.4. And in the same spot, he has maintained a remarkable strike rate of 118.
Getting Parag into the team will also give India a bowling option in the top four, a luxury they’ve not had for over a decade now.
Unlike the aforementioned two, Sanju Samson is not a youngster. However, he is an extremely capable ODI batter and he’s shown that in the limited opportunities he’s got. The right-hander has played 16 ODIs in his career, and in those games he’s averaged 56.67 while striking at nearly 100.00.
And yes, he can bat at No.3 as well: his last ODI innings, which came away in South Africa in 2023, was a century, and that was scored by Samson while batting at No.3.
We’ve seen Samson thrive big time in the top three, in both the IPL and T20Is, and in the small sample size in 50-over cricket, he’s managed to produce great results there. He is a multi-dimensional batter too, so don’t be surprised if India go to Samson if Kohli hangs his boots. Especially knowing how highly Gautam Gambhir rates him.