Asia Cup 2018: 3 players that can play at No. 3 in place of Kohli

Virat Kohli has been given the rest from the Asia Cup as he is still not fully recovered from his back problem.

Rohit Sharma has been appointed as the captain of the Indian team in UAE in the absence of Kohli.

Rohit has captained his IPL team Mumbai Indians and he has led his team to title victory thrice in his guidance.

India would be facing teams like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hongkong, Afganistan, and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup.

It would be an important tournament for India to check its team and its preparations for the World Cup 2019 in England.

As Kohli has been given the rest, Indian team would require a suitable player to bat at No. 3. It is a tough job to bat at this position as this position acts as a bridge between the openers and the middle order.

A No. 3 batsman has to bat under pressure if openers are dismissed early. He also sets the course of the match by setting a good target for the opposition.

Here are the three players who could be ideal replacements for Kohli at No.3.

---

#3 Ambati Rayudu

Rayudu has performed at No.3 for India in the past

Ambati Rayudu got a new life when he was picked by CSK in this year's IPL. Before the start of the season, everyone was skeptical about Rayudu and his career.

But Rayudu proved his every critic wrong, as he redefined his batting style for CSK and went on to score 602 runs at a staggering strike rate of 149.75, his highest in the IPL.

Rayudu was removed from the squad for England tour after he failed the Yo-Yo test. He was disappointed by the events occurred. He then trained hard to pass all his fitness tests. His hard work paid off and he was selected in the squad for the Asia Cup.

Rayudu makes a very good case for himself to bat at No. 3 in the absence of Kohli. Rayudu has the experience to bat at this position from the past. He is also in very good form. In his 4 innings in India A Quadrangular series, he scored with an average of 62.33. Rayudu could be a stable option for India at number 3 for the Asia Cup.

#2 Manish Pandey

Pandey is a strong stroke-maker and he also has the ability to pull out unorthodox strokes under pressure

Manish Pandey got a new confidence after he scored 306 runs in the 4 innings in the India A Quadrangular series.

He was not out in the entire series. His smashing form is a big reason that he could replace Kohli at the No. 3.

Pandey's batting style is perfect for that spot. He also used to bat at the same position for KKR in the past. He has played many match winning knocks for KKR batting at No. 3.

It could be a good chance for Pandey to show the world that he knows how to build an inning.

He is very good at chasing the targets which would be extremely important for India in the absence of Kohli.

Pandey is a strong stroke-maker and he also has the ability to pull out unorthodox strokes under pressure.

Team management needs to show faith in the Karnataka batsman so that he could give his best performance for the team.

#1 KL Rahul

Rahul redefined himself as an attacking batsman after an amazing IPL season

KL Rahul was amazing this year in the white ball cricket. Rahul redefined himself as an attacking batsman after an amazing IPL season.

The Karnataka lad is an extremely talented batsman who has the ability to hit the shots all over the ground. He scored 659 runs in the complete season, his highest in a single season.

His classical shots mixed with his impeccable technique makes him a worthy player for No. 3 spot in the team in the absence of Kohli.

He batted at No. 3 in the first T20 against England and he hit a remarkable hundred. Rahul also scored a well fought hundred under pressure in the second inning of the final test match against England.

Rahul is timing the white ball beautifully so he should be given more chances to prove his caliber.