Virat Kohli has been the backbone of the Indian batting lineup in T20I cricket over the last many years. However, in recent months, the team management has given him a lot of rest in the shortest format of the game. They have been trying other players in the number three position.
One of the reasons behind it is that there is no batter in India right now who can take the spot of Virat Kohli. Hence, whenever Kohli decides to hang up his boots, it will leave a massive hole in the Indian team. The likes of Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav have done well in the number four spot when Kohli was not there, but the following five names flopped.
1. Rahul Tripathi had a riskier approach than Virat Kohli
Rahul Tripathi made his debut earlier this year and got dropped soon. While he showed a lot of intent, Tripathi managed only 97 runs in five matches at an average of less than 20. Tripathi deserves another chance, but it is unlikely that he will get one soon.
2. Devdutt Padikkal could not play well in the position of Virat Kohli
India tried Devdutt Padikkal in the number three position for two T20Is against Sri Lanka in 2021. He scored only 38 runs in two innings at a strike rate of 100.
3. Rohit Sharma
India also gave one chance to Rohit Sharma to bat in the number three position. However, the Hitman could not make much of an impact, managing only 14 runs off 14 balls in a high-pressure T20 World Cup match against New Zealand.
4. Ishan Kishan
Left-handed batter Ishan Kishan has also played as a number three batter for India in one T20I. He scored four runs off nine balls at a disappointing strike rate of 44.44 in that match.
