Who should Virat Kohli replace in India's 11 for 2nd T20I vs Afghanistan?

Team India made a positive start to the home series against Afghanistan, with a comfortable six-wicket win in the first T20I at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. The hosts had to deal without Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli in the playing XI, but some tough calls are in the offing for the remainder of the series.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's groin injury is not expected to be major, while Virat Kohli is available for the second and third T20Is after missing out on the series opener due to personal reasons. A lot has changed since the former skipper's last T20I appearance, which came in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

There is no clarity yet over how the former skipper will be re-integrated into the current setup, given that there are multiple options. He could retain his spot at No. 3, or he could also be promoted to the top of the order, the role he plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

While Kohli's inclusion in the playing XI is a given, considering that there are not many T20Is left for India to experiement, there are several names whose place in the playing XI is now under threat.

There are a lot of factors to consider before it can be determined which player will make way for Kohli in the second T20I. On that note, let us take a look at some of the scenarios that will lead to the former skipper's return to T20Is after 14 months.

#1 If Yashasvi Jaiswal is fit

Team India had announced that the opening pair for the first match will be Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, the latter missed out due to an injury at the last minute. This led to Shubman Gill at the top of the order, with Tilak Varma coming in at No. 3.

Now, if Jaiswal has recovered in time for the second T20I, it is natural that he will open alongside Rohit Sharma, considering that it was the first-choice pairing. With the left-hand-right hand pairing at the top, it leaves Shubman Gill in quite a tricky position.

Kohli is likely to bat at No. 3 rather than open the innings, and since Gill cannot bat outside the top three, he is the candidate who will have to pave the way, leading to a Rohit-Jaiswal-Kohli top three. Tilak Varma can and has played at No. 4 for his country and franchise before, and the remaining of the batting lineup can also manage to a degree with the change.

With the contest taking place in Indore, famous for its short boundaries, India are unlikely to play with three spinners. This could potentially lead to Washington Sundar being dropped, and Jaiswal coming in his place. However, this leaves India short of bowling options in general.

Another approach is to drop both Gill and Tilak for Jaiswal and Kohli, respectively, and potentially bring in a bowler like Avesh Khan in place of Washington Sundar.

This will allow the in-form middle-order batters to play in the same position as they have done in recent times. With no Tilak, Dube will not have to drop down to No. 5, and so on.

#2 If Yashasvi Jaiswal is not fit

In the scenario where the youngster fails to recover in time for the second T20I, Tilak Varma might be the candidate who will have to pave the way, since either one of Kohli and Gill is bound to bat at No. 3.

The straight swap will ensure that the middle-order sticks to their position, where they have done quite well so far. With Kohli, Gill, and Rohit as the top three, India can either maintain the Rohit-Gill opening combination or try out the much-talked-about Rohit-Kohli combination at the top.

There is also the option of dropping one of the spin-bowling all-rounders like Sundar for Kohli, which will keep Tilak in the batting at No. 4. While this approach will add immense depth to the batting, it will also lead to middle-order batters being stacked together in the bottom half, as well as India going in with five bowling options, with Dube as the fifth bowler.

Such a bowling attack, with no proper sixth option, is far from ideal while playing at a run-friendly venue like the Holkar Stadium.

How should Team India handle the ace batter's return to the T20I fold in the second T20I against Afghanistan? Let us know what you think.