Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara Set For Test Comeback? – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two of India’s greatest cricketers of modern cricket, have both retired from Test cricket within a week of each other. Their exit has sparked concerns, with former player and now commentator Aakash Chopra questioning the strength of India’s batting lineup in their absence.
The spotlight is now on India’s upcoming Test series in England, set for June 2025. For the first time in 14 years, India will play a Test without either Kohli or Rohit. With a relatively young and less experienced batting group, the challenge will be significant.
Aakash Chopra Questions India’s Batting Depth
Aakash Chopra believes India might bring back experienced players like Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane for the England Test series, as the current batting lineup lacks experience and could struggle in the new WTC cycle.
This England tour also marks the beginning of India’s campaign in the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s Recent Form Boosts Their Case
Pujara has been in good form in domestic cricket and the County Championship, making him a strong contender for a comeback. Rahane also impressed by leading Mumbai to the Ranji Trophy 2024 title, scoring 437 runs with a century and two fifties.
“There was another discussion that if Virat Kohli is not going, although it’s been heard that someone is trying to convince him, can Ajinkya Rahane or Cheteshwar Pujara return, just for this series?” Aakash Chopra said.
“Can the team go in that direction? Can they think from that point of view? I am voicing it because it’s the England tour. If it had been any other tour, I would have said ‘let’s go with kids.’ However, if both Kohli and Rohit are not there, maybe you want to think about Pujara or Rahane. Both are playing well and scoring runs,” he added.
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Should India Mix Youth with Experience?
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul are expected to open for India in the upcoming Test series. With Kohli retiring, Shubman Gill could move to number 4, leaving the number 3 spot open—possibly for Ajinkya Rahane or Cheteshwar Pujara.
Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy are likely to take the number 5 and 6 spots, followed by Ravindra Jadeja at 7. This setup increases the chances of either Rahane or Pujara being included in the squad for their experience.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were key players for India in Test cricket for many years. However, both were dropped after India lost the WTC final to Australia in 2023.
Rahane has played 85 Tests, scoring 5,077 runs at an average of 38.5, with 12 centuries and 26 fifties. Pujara has featured in 103 Tests, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.6, including 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries.
