3 reasons why Sai Sudharsan should be Virat Kohli's replacement for the first 2 Tests vs England

Team India suffered a massive blow even before the Test series against England commenced as star batter Virat Kohli pulled out of the first two matches citing personal reasons.

Kohli, who has been in excellent form lately, was expected to be one of the lynchpins of the Indian batting lineup right from the start of the rubber. Now, however, the hosts are left to scramble for replacements.

B Sai Sudharsan is among the players touted to earn a call-up to the national side for the highly anticipated series. He is in the India A mix for their second game against England Lions, so he might not be one of the first choices on the selectors' minds.

Nevertheless, there is plenty of merit in Sai Sudharsan earning his maiden Test call-up.

India’s squad for the first two Tests vs England: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Avesh Khan.

Here are three reasons why Sai Sudharsan should be Virat Kohli's replacement for the first two Tests against England.

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#3 Sai Sudharsan will give India a bit of flexibility

Ever since they moved on from Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, India have struggled to fill the middle-order slots to perfection. Shubman Gill has been batting at No. 3, while Shreyas Iyer has been the primary candidate for the No. 5 position.

Having a player like Sai Sudharsan in the mix will give India plenty of flexibility in the batting department. The youngster is capable of opening the batting and can also bat anywhere in the top or middle order. He will be able to double up as a backup for Yashasvi Jaiswal while potentially filling in for either Gill or Shreyas.

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#2 Sai Sudharsan is an excellent player of both swing and spin

Sai Sudharsan in action: Surrey v Northamptonshire - LV= Insurance County Championship

When it comes to attributes needed to play at the highest level, Sai Sudharsan has them all. The 22-year-old has proven himself to be a player with an immense ceiling, with clear skillsets that merit his inclusion in the Test side.

Sai Sudharsan is an excellent player of spin while also having the technical fortitude to blunt the new ball. In the Test series against England, he will be tested on both fronts, should he be picked in the first-choice XI. The visitors have a potent seam attack, and the pitches assisting spin should level the playing field for their slower bowlers.

Sai Sudharsan might still be young, but he is clearly a player who has what it takes to succeed at the Test level. He has already made a name for himself in international cricket with a promising outing in South Africa, where the conditions seriously tested the Indian batters.

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#1 Sai Sudharsan has been in promising red-ball form lately

Sai Sudharsan has worked extensively on his red-ball game of late, and that has reflected in his returns. He has played for India A and for Tamil Nadu while also representing Surrey in the County Championship.

Recently, during India A's tour game against the England Lions, Sai Sudharsan made an invaluable 208-ball 97 to help his side secure a draw despite being up against it on the last two days. His first-class average might be below 40, but he has experienced a clear upturn in fortunes lately.

Given the form he's in right now, Sai Sudharsan could end up contributing heavily to the Indian side if he is picked for the first two Tests against England.

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