Rohit Sharma's Test retirement has created a void in India's opening slot in the longest format. Meanwhile, BCCI will look to fill the void as soon as possible, especially with Test series against England approaching. Notably, the five-match Test series between India and England is set to start from June 20.
Meanwhile, as per a PTI report, Sai Sudharsan is emerging as a leading candidate to fill the Test opener slot for the India cricket team following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format. The young left-handed batsman has been steadily progressing through the ranks for some time now and has already gained international experience, having made his white-ball debut for India in 2023.
Sudharsan has also been a force to reckon with in the IPL 2025 for Gujarat Titans (GT). GT opener scored 509 runs in a total of 11 innings in the IPL 2025 before it got suspended for a week time in the wake of escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.
The 23-year-old has reportedly been drawing nearer to making his debut in the Test as well. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had included Sudharsan in the India A squad last year (2024), where he put on a show by scoring a century against Australia A. However, at that juncture, the Indian team management did not show enough trust in him to warrant a senior call-up, opting instead to play Devdutt Padikkal.
The landscape has changed now. With Rohit Sharma stepping away from Test cricket, the second opener's position in the team has become available. According to a report from PTI, Sudharsan has made a favourable impression on the BCCI. There had already been prior discussions about him being considered as a backup opener behind Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Now, with Rohit out of the equation, Sudharsan appears to be a top favourite for the opening role. Despite this, the team still includes experienced players like Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, which means there is a possibility that one of them could be preferred over Sudharsan for the opener's spot. Nevertheless, if he is not chosen to open the innings, the left-handed batter could potentially be accommodated in the number three batting position.
Although Sai Sudharsan could not participate in the entire Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season, he still managed to make an impact in the matches he played. In his three appearances, he maintained an impressive average of 76, notably scoring a double hundred against Delhi during the tournament.
Unlike some of his peers who are also in contention, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, or Nitish Kumar Reddy, Sudharsan holds a distinct advantage with his prior experience of playing cricket in England. This valuable experience comes from his two-year stint playing in the County Championship for Kent. It is suggested that due to this familiarity with English conditions, if the team needs to induct a player quickly for challenging tours like the one coming up, Sudharsan might potentially be considered the most suitable candidate to be "thrown in".