Cheteshwar Pujara Opens Up On Virat Kohli's Replacement At No. 4 In Indian Team, Feels BCCI Will 'Take Some Time'

Talisman batter Virat Kohli has been the flagbearer of the Indian Cricket Team for the past few years. With his aura, the 36-year-old forced people to start watching Test cricket, which had once lost its status.

Virat Kohli made his Test debut on June 20th, 2011, against the West Indies. Over the past 14 years, Kohli has displayed stunning performances in red-ball cricket. The 36-year-old has scored 9230 runs after playing 123 Test matches at a strike rate of 55.57, and has an average of 46.85.

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Virat Kohli's Numbers In Red-Ball Cricket 

Virat Kohli's last Test series was in the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2024-2025, where he scored 190 runs from five matches at a strike rate of 47.97, and has an average of 23.75. The legendary batter's retirement came as a shock to many of the cricket fans. He successfully performed at Team India's number four batting position.

While speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara said that as of now, no one has permanently secured Kohli's place at the number four. He added that it's a long process and will take some time.

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"There are a lot of players who are making their way into the playing XI, no one has a secured spot at this stage. It's a process which will take some time," Pujara told ESPNcricinfo.

He added that it's still early to name who can replace Virat Kohli's place in Team India's Test squad.

"It's still early days to make a call, but it will be important to see who performs well in England because someone who can perform well in England can have that No. 4 spot," he added.

India Will Tour England From June 20

In the upcoming days, India will begin their tour of England for a five-match Test series. The red-ball series will kick off on June 20th. The second and third matches of the series will be played on July 2nd and July 10th. Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth games of the series will be held on July 23rd and July 31st.