3 players who can replace Virat Kohli in India's playing 11 for the first two Tests vs England ft. Sarfaraz Khan

Former India captain and one of the leading batters in the side, Virat Kohli, has pulled out of the first India vs England Test match owing to personal reasons.

The BCCI made this announcement and stated that Kohli had spoken with captain Rohit Sharma, the team management, and the selectors, keeping them in the loop.

"The BCCI requests the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli's privacy during this time and refrain from speculating on the nature of his personal reasons. The focus should remain on supporting the Indian cricket team as they embark on the upcoming challenges in the Test series," the BCCI release stated.

This is certainly a significant setback for the Indian team, as Virat Kohli was in good form, and his experience would have been valuable on surfaces that could well assist spinners. The right-hander led India’s charge in the World Cup and was one of the standout batters for the side on difficult surfaces in the Test series against South Africa.

Let us take a look at three players who can replace Virat Kohli in India's playing XI for the first two Tests vs England:

#3 Abhimanyu Easwaran

Abhimanyu Easwaran has been part of India Test squads

Abhimanyu Easwaran is one of the most prolific run-scorers in first-class cricket and has been a run-machine for Bengal. He has amassed 6314 runs in 144 innings – including 21 centuries and 26 fifties. He has been part of the India Test squad in the past, joining the side for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh.

Now with Virat Kohli missing out, the right-hander can be drafted into the squad. He can slot into the number 3 spot, and Shubman Gill could drop down to number 4. Easwaran has been in good form in the Ranji Trophy and has already cracked a ton against Baroda in November last year. He was also part of the India A team that took on South Africa A. He averages almost 47 for India A, and considering his form and expertise in Indian conditions, he can be a great addition to the side – especially in the top order.

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#2 Rajat Patidar

Patidar was impressive on his ODI debut

Rajat Patidar made his ODI debut for India in the recent series against South Africa, and in his brief stint, he showed his class against fast bowling. He then continued to be impressive when he scored 33 runs off 67 balls in India A's drawn match in South Africa.

As far as his recent run of scores is concerned, Patidar was one of the brightest sparks for India A against England Lions just before this India vs England Test series. Patidar scored a century in the tour game and then followed it up with another hundred in the first Unofficial Test. His ability to take the attack to the bowlers – seam or spin, makes him a viable contender to take up the number 4 spot for India in the first 2 matches of the Test series in the place of Virat Kohli.

His first-class numbers are excellent as well – in 55 matches, he has scored 4000 runs at an average of 45.97. One player the selectors will surely keep a close eye on!

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#1 Sarfaraz Khan

Will Sarfaraz finally get the call-up?

Why Sarfaraz Khan is not in the Indian Test set-up is a question that has few convincing answers. One of the most prolific batters in first-class cricket, the right-hander has become a run machine in the Ranji Trophy. He has scored 3751 runs in 44 matches at an average of 68.20. The right-hander has the excellent habit of not throwing away starts – he has 13 tons and 11 half-centuries.

He has now made a strong impression with excellent knocks against England Lions. After a failure in the first innings, he responded with a gritty 96 in the second dig. In the second unofficial Test match, he scored another half-century to remind the selectors of his presence. In South Africa, he showed his class with a magnificent 61-ball century in an intra-squad game in Pretoria. Surely, this is the time for Sarfaraz Khan, now that Virat Kohli has opted out!