IND vs ENG - With no Virat Kohli in 1st two Tests, who will bat at No. 4 spot? Netizens have their say

India is gearing up to take on England in a five-match Test series starting on January 25 in Hyderabad. Despite the BCCI having already announced the squad for the first two games, a recent report on January 22 revealed that batter Virat Kohli has requested to withdraw from the initial two matches due to personal reasons. The former World No.1 batter will not be part of the squad travelling to Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. 

ALSO READ | Ram Mandir Inauguration: Is Virat Kohli in Ayodhya or Hyderabad? Social media give their statement 

According to the BCCI's report, Kohli formally requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India to allow him to withdraw from the initial two Tests of the forthcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England.

Who will replace Virat Kohli?

The BCCI has stated that Team India will soon announce a replacement for Kohli. However, there is no confirmation on whether he will be available for selection from the 3rd Test onwards. Kohli, who bats at No. 4 in Tests, has played 113 matches for India, maintaining an average of 49.16. 

The 35-year-old has also scored 8,848 runs for the Men in Blue in 191 Test innings. The former India skipper boasts an impressive record with 29 centuries and 30 half-centuries in the longest format of the game.

So who could bat at the No.4 spot?

But one question that remains is, in the absence of Virat Kohli, who will step into his role for the first two games against England? Fans on social media, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter), have expressed their opinions on a few batters who could potentially make the cut.

What about Team England?

Earlier, Harry Brook also withdrew from the India Test series due to personal reasons. Meanwhile, the Indian team conducted their first practice session on Monday around 9:30 AM at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

ALSO READ | IND vs AFG - Fans at the edge of their seats, 2 Super Overs, but India get the job done winning series 3-0 

Squad for first 2 Tests vs England without Virat Kohli: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan

England Test squad for India series: Ben Stokes (C), James Anderson, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (Wk), Dan Lawrence, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.