Players Who Can Replace Rohit Sharma as an Opener and Captain

Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from test cricket amidst the ongoing IPL 2025. Rohit expressed his gratitude and thanked the selectors and the fans for allowing him to represent the country with pride and honour. He was known for his effortless approach, and he announced his retirement with a statement on one of his social media accounts. While the fans were hoping for his miraculous comeback in the upcoming England series, they are now left to wonder who is likely going to replace him as an opener and a captain. India has never been a potential candidate, and a few would like to grab the opportunity with both hands.

Let’s see who can replace Rohit Sharma as an opener:

Sai Sudharsan

Sai has been consistent and phenomenal for the domestic side in the whites. His current consistency in the IPL for the Gujarat Titans is a testament to his quality as a player and his reliability at the top of the order. The 23-year-old hailing from Tamil Nadu has surely impacted the selectors’ minds and is likely to be considered. His record in the recent Ranji Trophy gives a glimpse of how good a player he is. In 4 innings, he scored 304 runs at an average of 76. In the ongoing IPL, he has scored over 500 runs in 11 matches. BCCI would back this youngster for the opening slot and will provide enough time to understand the tough overseas conditions.

Abhimanyu Easwaran

Abhimanyu has been one of the consistent performers in the domestic setup. His India debut is long overdue, and he deserves it more than the others. His stats justify why he is an ideal candidate and have caught everyone’s attention. In 101 first-class matches, Easwaran has almost 7500 runs at an average of nearly 50. His ability to play long innings with utmost patience gives him an edge over the rest. Also, he was in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 squad, considered as a back-up opener, and he is also in the news to be in the India A squad, which will leave for England and practice before the main squad announcement.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul is left as the only senior batsman of the team after the retirement of some seniors. Rahul’s place in test cricket was questioned regularly. However, his technique, skills, and peak at the right time have always retained his spot in the team. KL can be looked upon as a potential opener for Rohit’s replacement. He has progressed significantly under the leadership of Rohit in all the formats and would like to continue this momentum in the whites. His stats in the SENA countries stand at 1446 runs in 26 matches with 5 centuries. However, his average of 34 in England is much better than in other SENA countries. BCCI would want to give him a longer run this time since his comeback.

Let’s look at the players who can replace Rohit Sharma as a captain:

Jasprit Bumrah

The first name that comes to mind when we talk of a young, dynamic, ferocious, and aggressive cricketer is Bumrah. His captaincy in Australia gave a glimpse of how smooth and aggressive he can be as a captain. Bumrah will be in contention for leading the team in the future. India has waited for a long time for a fast-bowling, aggressive captain since Kapil Dev. It looks certain that Bumrah will soon end the drought. His becoming a captain will also be a long-term bet for the future, and will also give youngsters more opportunities to express themselves.

Shubman Gill

Gill has been fantastic as a captain in this IPL 2025 season for GT. However, his overall record does justice to his captaincy career. But with too much age on his side and the next poster boy of the Indian cricket team, BCCI could place a bet on Gill for the future. Questions may be raised about his performances in the recent few test matches, but he is one of the finest in the setup currently to hold that prestigious position. Wearing the blue blazer, Gill would feel a sense of pride and an added responsibility that may improve his game and elevate it to the next level.

It would be interesting to see what and how BCCI thinks in the future, and give a longer and proper run to the opener and captain.