3 players who can replace Rohit Sharma as opener following his Test retirement ft. Sai Sudharsan

Rohit Sharma recently announced his retirement from Test cricket, leaving the spot of an opener now empty in the Indian team. India are set to play England in a five-Test series in June this year.

Rohit Sharma's announcement came amid the IPL 2025 season. The right-hander had a disastrous Australia tour, which could have played a big part in this decision. He could score only 31 runs from five innings, with India losing the series as well.

Rohit played 67 Tests for India, scoring 4301 runs at an average of 40.57 with 12 hundreds and 18 half-centuries. With him now retired, it will be interesting to see who will India replace him with at the top of the order.

It is a vital call which the board needs to make given the upcoming England tour, which is of utmost importance, beginning the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India.

On that note, here are three players who can replace Rohit Sharma as an opener in Tests following his retirement.

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Who can replace Rohit Sharma as India's Test opener?

#3 KL Rahul

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: JAN 04 fifth NRMA Insurance Test - Source: Getty

KL Rahul, as Rohit Sharma himself described, has been one of the most dependable players for India. Even in the Test format, he has batted at various positions as per the requirement of the team.

Even in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he opened the batting in Rohit's absence. He has played a lot of his Test career as an opener and going back to him for the crucial position can always be a safe choice. Rahul has shown calmness and composure and comes with the experience of having opened in different conditions including overseas.

Rahul has played 83 Tests as an opener and has scored 2803 runs at an average of 35.04 with seven hundreds and 14 fifties. Moreover, he has played 38 Tests away and has scored 2108 runs, with seven hundreds and as many fifties.

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#2 Abhimanyu Easwaran

Australia A Men's v India A: Day 2 - Source: Getty

Abhimanyu Easwaran is a household name when it comes to domestic cricket and playing for the India A team. The 29-year-old has been a regular member of the A team for a while now, knocking the door for a Test debut.

He was a part of the squad in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but did not get an opportunity. While he played a couple of games for the A team against Australia A and did not do well, his consistency in domestic cricket makes him a deserving candidate to replace Rohit Sharma as an opener nonetheless.

The right-hander has played 101 first-class matches in his career so far. He has amassed 7674 runs at an average of 48.87. Easwaran also has 27 hundreds and 29 half-centuries to his name.

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#1 Sai Sudharsan

Australia A Men's v India A: Day 3 - Source: Getty

Sai Sudharsan is likely to earn his maiden Test call-up for the upcoming England tour. The left-hander has been lauded by one and all for his solid technique, which has led to him emerging as an all-format batter.

To add to his case, he has also played county cricket, which means he comes with the experience of having played in English conditions before, making him a top candidate to replace Rohit Sharma as an opener ahead of the England series.

He has been in great form recently, scoring more than 500 runs in the IPL 2025 season which has been temporarily suspended for a week. The 23-year-old has played 29 first-class matches and has already scored 1957 runs at an average of 39.93 with seven hundreds and five half-centuries.