Who can replace KL Rahul, who's on the edge in the Test match format?

KL Rahul faces an existential threat in the Test XI. (Photo: Twitter)

India’s Test squad is on the verge of a transition. Most of the senior players are on the wrong side of 30, which is usually a sign that a transition is on the way.

Fortunately for India, the strong Ranji Trophy structure has ensured that there is steady supply of cricketers for the side in the longest format of the game. The biggest talking point going forward for India in the Test squad could well be the opening slot.

With skipper Rohit Sharma pushing 36 and his deputy Kannanur Lokesh Rahul, better known as KL Rahul, being in the eye of a storm for his poor form, there is always going to be talk about possible replacements. More than Sharma, KL Rahul faces an existential threat in the Test XI. With a number of young and old claimants knocking on the door strongly, Rahul has plenty to think about as he tries to ward off challenges.

Here are some of the top contenders who are looking to take Lokesh Rahul’s place in the Test XI:

Shubman Gill: This young right-hander has caught the imagination of the entire country and is the top contender to take Rahul's place at the top of the order in the Test XI. The thing going for him is that he is in red-hot current form across all formats. The team management and selectors believe in his ability to be able to score big across formats. He effortlessly moves into the formats without ever having to change much in the way he bats. In a way Gill is like what Rahul was perceived to be. This 2022-23 season alone he has struck hundreds in Test cricket, ODIs and even in the T20I format. That makes him the firm favourite to replace Rahul in the Test XI. Gill must be patient about his chances.

Abhimanyu Easwaran: This Bengal batter has been a consistent run-getter in red ball format for his state side and also for India A. In the longer format, the selectors past and present have kept an eye on Easwaran. He has captained India A in the red-ball format and has been consistent with the form. On the recent Bangladesh tour, Easwaran replaced injured skipper Rohit Sharma in the Test squad. He was also in the Test squad in England in 2021, but was overlooked when it came to selection. Rahul who had been picked as a middle-order batter was pushed up the order to open. In the 2022-23 season, Easwaran, a right-handed batter, scored 782 runs in seven games at an average of 78.20 with three half-centuries and three centuries. With India’s next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle beginning in July, keep an eye out for Easwaran. His biggest drawback is that he is not in contention for a place in any IPL side. So, he is not one those glamorous batters, but he is consistent and that matters most.

Mayank Agarwal: Rahul’s Karnataka teammate, Agarwal has been in and out of the Test side for a while. He came into focus when India first won a Test series in Australia in 2018-19, when he flew in as a replacement. Since then, Agarwal has not been consistent enough to be able to retain his place in the side. He seems to come into the fray each time there are injuries to either Sharma, Gill or Rahul or all three. He needs consistent opportunities to be able to make the Test opener’s slot his own. On the 2021 England Test tour, Agarwal looked set to open in the series, but a Mohammed Siraj delivery left him concussed and Rahul stole a march over him. Things have not been the same again for Agarwal. He opened in South Africa later in 2021-22, but lacked consistency. But in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, he has set the world on fire with his exploits. He has scored close to 1000 runs which is a huge achievement with three hundreds and six half-centuries in nine games. He has led Karnataka from the front with the bat as they made it to the semi-final of the prestigious tournament. Rahul’s troubles with the bat, will only strengthen Agarwal’s claims for a Test recall.

Priyank Panchal: The Gujarat skipper has been a giant in the first-class circuit over nearly a decade. He has been a consistent scorer for his stateside and has caught the eye of the various selection panels over the years. Panchal was finally picked on the 2021-22 tour to South Africa, only to be forgotten thereafter. Again, a non-IPL player which means his performances are not trumpeted like the other players. Panchal has to try that much harder to stay in focus. As a one-format specialist that is even harder in the modern scenario. Injuries have not helped this 32-year-old, but he is never away from focus. This 2022-23 season has been again a consistent one for Panchal as he scored 583 runs from five games at an average of 63.16 with two hundreds and three half-centuries.

Prithvi Shaw: Another India under-19 captain who was expected to emerge as a top star in the future. India rushed him into Test cricket at the age of 18 and he did not disappoint scoring a hundred on debut at Rajkot. But since then Shaw’s international career has been mediocre. He did tour Australia in 2018-19, but got injured while fielding and was then sent home. He has spent more time on the sidelines than in the squad over the years. He has scored runs across formats and is particularly in focus during the IPL for Delhi Capitals. Talks about discipline and fitness emerge whenever Shaw’s name is discussed across formats. He did return to the Test squad on the historic Australian tour of 2020-21. But he has been out since then. A place even in the shorter formats is proving to be difficult to snatch for this pocket dynamo from Mumbai. The 2022-23 season could well have changed all that. He scored 595 runs from six games with one century and a half-century at an average of 59.50.

There are other openers as well who have stolen a march in the longest format in the 2022-23 first-class season. But they are not prime contenders as far as getting an India call-up is concerned.

Some more names to watch out for in the coming days are:

Yash Dhull: India’s 2022 Under-19 World Cup winning captain, he has been elevated to lead the beleaguered Delhi Ranji Trophy side in the season. He has come through the ranks and is being spoken of highly as evident from his selection on recent India A tours.

Yashasvi Jaiswal: A young lanky left-hander from Mumbai who has also come through the under-19 system. He has been consistent over the past couple of seasons and has caught the eye of the selectors.

Ruturaj Gaikwad: Maharashtra opener has been consistent across formats and has been on the selectors’ radar, more so for the white ball formats. But he is closer than ever before to making it to the top bracket in the coming seasons.

Ravikumar Samarth: For over a decade he has plied his trade for Karnataka. He emerged as a talent to watch out for and even made it to the India A squad. He then fell off the radar, only to re-emerge in the 2022-23 season.

Rohan Kunnummal: When the India A squad for Bangladesh tour was announced one name that stood out was of this Kerala opener. His selection meant that the selectors were keeping a close eye on even those who do not play in the IPL. He may not have got game time, but he is surely on the minds of the selectors.