Rajat Patidar, BCCI’s choice to replace Virat Kohli, defeats Sarfaraz, Rinku, and Pujara for the first two Test matches against England
All rumors about Virat Kohli’s successor were put to rest by the BCCI selection committee, which was helmed by Ajit Agarkar when Rajat Patidar was added to the Indian team for the first two Test matches against England. For personal reasons, Kohli will miss the two games in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. The BCCI suggested selecting a successor soon in an official statement, but they also asked for respect for Kohli’s privacy. The options were Rinku Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Patidar, the kid, and the seasoned Cheteshwar Pujara. However, Patidar’s victory in the contest was officially declared on Tuesday night.
Together with the other players of the Indian squad in Hyderabad, the right-handed hitter from Madhya Pradesh, Naman, was sighted at the BCCI annual awards. Since KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are expected to bat in the middle order on Thursday, Patidar is unlikely to get his Test cap. However, the selectors chose to call up Patidar since India lacked another specialist batsman in the reserves.
unanimous decision in Patidar
The selection committee and the team management allegedly decided unanimously on Patidar, making it obvious that they don’t want to revert to the Pujara-Rahane path. This implies that Sarfaraz, who has been the most productive red-ball hitter on the Indian domestic circuit for the last three seasons, will have to bide his time before he receives his first call-up.
After smashing two hundred in his last three innings for India A against the England Lions, Patidar was always the clear favorite. It is said that his 151-run innings in the last four-day match, when the majority of India A’s hitters, including skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran, failed in the first innings, was the decisive reason.
Patidar has been a factor in the equation for some time now. He would have made his debut much sooner if it weren’t for an Achilles heel injury that necessitated surgery and kept him out of the game for over eight months. When he was selected for the third ODI against South Africa in Paarl, the 30-year-old received his India cap at last. He opened the batting and scored an easy 22.
Patidar, who has experience batting in the middle order, is renowned for his poise and ability to score runs swiftly against both speed and spin. With an average of 52.50 and an impressive strike rate of 104.30, he scored 315 runs in six innings during his respectable Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign the previous year. His first-class average of 46 in 55 games is proof of his skill with the red ball.
Patidar was originally included in the India A squad for the second and third four-day matches against the England Lions. However, Rinku Singh was put in the India A squad for the second match by the selection committee due to Kohli’s unavailability, which opened the door for Patidar to be included in the Test side.
