Virat Kohli will be Replaced by Rajat Patidar in England’s First Two Test Matches: Report
Virat Kohli will be replaced by Rajat Patidar for the first two Test matches against England, which begin in Hyderabad on Thursday. After declaring himself unavailable for the first two games against Ben Stokes & Co. for to personal issues, the Indore hitter will now be a part of the Indian team.
Against the visiting England Lions, Patidar hit two consecutive hundreds, demonstrating his recent great vein of form. In the first tour match last week in Ahmedabad, he hit a spectacular 151. He went on the A-side’s journey to South Africa at the end of last year, and he also scored 111 in the warm-up match against the Lions.
In the Indian domestic circuit, the Indore batter is very well-known. Patidar, a player representing Madhya Pradesh, has amassed 4000 runs at an average of 45.97 in 55 First-class matches, with 22 fifty-fives and 12 centuries.
Patidar, who amassed 658 runs to rank as the second-highest run scorer of the season, was a key player in Madhya Pradesh’s historic Ranji Trophy championship victory in 2022. He participated in the major decider as well, hitting 122 against Mumbai in the first innings.
In December, Patidar made his debut for his country in the third One-Day International (ODI) match against South Africa at Paarl. Opening the innings alongside Sai Sudharsan, he quickly hit a rapid twenty-two off only sixteen balls. He is probably going to bat in the middle order in Hyderabad during the first Test match against England.
The BCCI has not yet released an official statement. But Patidar’s selection clearly shows that the team management is now looking for alternatives to players like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. Sarfaraz Khan, the batter for Mumbai, had to wait longer at the same time.
Alongside Patidar, Khan was included in the India A XI and hit 96 runs at a strike rate of 87.27 in the first innings. The right-hander blasted 11 boundaries and a six in his 110 balls.
Having not lost a home Test series since 2012–13, Team India will want to continue their impressive record.
