"To Replace Virat in the Test Team Takes Time" – Sourav Ganguly Hails Kohli as a World-Class Player

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly said that it would be difficult to replace a player like Virat Kohli in the Indian Test team. However, he was not surprised by Shubman Gill's brilliant innings in the first Test against England. The 25-year-old Gill batted at number four — a position where Kohli used to bat in recent years. Ganguly also raised concerns about the future fitness and selection of cricket legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, as both aim to secure a place in India’s ODI World Cup squad for 2027.

"Virat is a great player. It will take time to find a replacement for him. But I was not surprised by what I saw from Shubman. There is a lot of quality in Indian cricket because of the system, the standard of domestic cricket, the leagues, and the time and money the association invests in developing players," Ganguly told PTI.

Ganguly also said that he expects Shubman Gill, India’s new Test captain, to score many runs in the series—provided his footwork remains as good as it was on the first day at Leeds.

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"I am very happy to see his footwork in foreign conditions. There has been a lot of improvement. Shubman’s footwork was brilliant, and he didn’t make any mistakes," Ganguly said.

He added, "I think England should not have bowled on that pitch, and they didn’t bowl well either. His (Gill’s) footwork was fantastic. I hope this becomes a regular thing for him. If he continues to bat like this in England and other foreign conditions, he will score a lot of runs. If he keeps playing this way, his average will go up to around 40–45. This innings will give him a lot of confidence because confidence comes from performance. The way he handled the swing yesterday—his technique looked really good."

Sourav Ganguly said - "Virat Kohli is different, He's a World Class player. To replace Virat in the test team takes time". (PTI). pic.twitter.com/NkQkZWOGIv

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Ganguly also spoke about retirement decisions and Virat Kohli’s form. He said, "The decision to retire should be taken when people ask 'Why?' and not when they ask 'Why not?' As a player, you always understand your place. Kohli knows that his last five years in Tests were not very good. But champion players like him always find a way to come back. If Virat had gone on the England tour, he would have scored runs. But he felt it was time to step away."

Recently, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir stated that if both Virat and Rohit continue to perform, the door remains open for them to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.

About this, Ganguly said, "The World Cup is still far away. Before that, we have to play the T20 World Cup, which is another big tournament, happening in India in February–March. After the England tour, the full focus will be on the T20 World Cup. There are still about two and a half years left until December 2027. As I said earlier, if you keep performing, then age is just a number."