Shubman Gill or KL Rahul - who should bat at number 4 for India after Virat Kohli's Test retirement?

Team India facing a conundrum for the No.4 role is an unfamiliar feeling, given how Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli tied down the position for years on end smoothly. While there was a smooth and natural transition when the Little Master retired in 2013, that same sense of comfort is missing when his successor walks away in 2025, out of nowhere.

The way India constructs their top four will have a huge bearing on the final result in the upcoming five-match series in England. With no Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India do not have to necessarily build from scratch, but assigning the right batter to the right role becomes even more crucial.

It is almost certain that the trio of KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill will constitute the majority of the top four in the playing XI. While Jaiswal is fixed for the opening role, both Rahul and Gill are capable of playing anywhere in the batting lineup.

On that note, let us take a look at who should bat at No.4 for Team India in England between KL Rahul and Shubman Gill.

#1 KL Rahul being the only proven opener in the setup makes a strong case for Gill to be at No.4

In India's previous two tours of England, they have had experienced and proven opening batters in Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma. With Yashasvi Jaiswal touring England for the first time, coupled with his flamboyant playing style, he should ideally be paired with someone accustomed to those conditions.

KL Rahul, having toured England twice, comes across as an ideal choice. He is the perfect pairing for Jaiswal as seen in Australia, and is the calming presence that India desperately need. Because, if he is slotted in at No.4, India will have to find a new opener with Gill likely to come in at No.3 in such a case.

Although India have choices like Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan for the opening role, they will not provide the sense of security as KL Rahul does, who has been there and done it already.

The Men in Blue will have to field a new batter in their top four anyway, it is better if it is not right at the top, given how tough the conditions are likely to be against the brand new ball and a solid seam bowling attack.

#2 Shubman Gill more familiar with new ball, but his record screams for a change

Shubman Gill is yet to bat outside the top three in Test cricket, which includes three outings in England. But, apart from his maiden tour of Australia, he has largely failed to create an impression overseas, and that is largely due to his inability to counter the new ball.

Gill's overseas exploits are a combination of poor scores and promising starts, both not benefit the team's cause. 28 innings is more than a decent sample size, and with only an average of 27.54 in return, and 16 innings in a row without a fifty, it is certainly time for a change.

The fact that Gill might be captain now, means that the batting order must be accommodated to fit him into a safe role, which is arguably No.4, a sweet spot enough away from the threat of the brand new ball, but still of vital importance. So far, there has been enough display of skill from Gill's end, but the temperament and consistency have been lacking.

The Duke's ball does swing around in England even when it gets old, but not being against the red ball right at the start would help Gill at this stage of his career.

#3 Yet another major shuffle for KL Rahul won't help him or Team India

KL Rahul is capable of playing in any given position in the Indian batting order, his adaptability is not the issue at hand. But the team combination and continuity are the factors that need to be prioritised. No matter how good a player is, he needs time to adjust to change.

In KL Rahul's case, he played the majority of his career as an opener. Between being dropped in early 2023, and making a comeback later that year, his spot was gone. He had to feature in the lower middle-order for three series in a row, before a spot at the top opened up yet again.

Oscillating constantly, that too in the extreme ends of the batting order, needs massive changes technically and mentally. It is not as if KL Rahul is subjected to this treatment in red-ball cricket, the more or less same story has transpired in his white-ball career too.

KL Rahul put in the hard work in Australia, playing out the tough overs against a well-honed bowling attack on testing surfaces. It would be a shame for that effort to be an interim shift rather than a stepping stone for something a bit more permanent and long-term amid transition.

Now with Rohit Sharma out of the picture entirely, there is a free hand to feature KL Rahul up top. By now, it should be clear that if you want the best out of him, then he has to be given a string of games in the same position. He has a bit of momentum as an opener from the Border-Gavaskar series, it would be best to use it and not disrupt it.