Virat Kohli’s number three position is up for the taking in the India vs Afghanistan ODI series. The former India all-format captain has been ruled out of his first international series in over 6 months due to a hamstring injury sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
3-way race for Virat Kohli’s replacement
Realistically, the Indian team management has two options for the new number 3. The first is Yashasvi Jaiswal, his replacement in the squad. But Jaiswal has been a lifelong opener. Slotting him at one down isn’t a good long-term backup solution for Kohli, especially considering he’s the backup to Rohit Sharma.
Ishan Kishan is the second option. He’s the backup wicketkeeper in the squad. The 27-year-old has batted at three in ODIs and even scored a double hundred in Bangladesh while opening. However, the management is considering even KL Rahul as the number three.
“In terms of that number three slot, I think that’s something in this series we’ll play around with, you know. Even if it’s Ishan Kishan or KL Rahul or Yashasvi Jaiswal, it’s a nice opportunity now. We’ve got a couple of one-day games coming up, and we’ll give guys an opportunity in different slots just to give ourselves a better idea in terms of how we can go and structure teams and have different options,” India’s assistant coach Morne Morkel told reporters in Dharamshala on the eve of the first ODI.
Morkel’s word came true. A few minutes later, Kishan was seen doing wicketkeeper drills while Rahul, who has been India’s keeper since 2023, was doing outfield drills. It’s not like Rahul can’t bat in the top order; he has opened the batting for India in the Cricket World Cup 2019 and even slotted at three before. But shifting a successful middle-order batter, who’s been the best at number five for the last couple of years, just doesn’t seem right.
Why KL Rahul is needed at No. 5
Rahul has been a vital cog in India’s ODI success in recent years. His knock in the Cricket World Cup 2023 final gets criticised, but he’s done a lot more than that one innings. Even in that tournament, he was the one who got India across the line against Australia in the first league match, which earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
In the Champions Trophy 2025, he was dismissed just once in 4 matches. No one averages more than him at number five since he assumed the role in early 2023. Removing him from that position will create another problem that doesn’t exist. Not only will it not create a backup for Kohli, but you might also need a backup for Rahul at five.
Highest average at No. 5 in ODIs (since 2023)
| Batter | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KL Rahul | 21 | 930 | 112* | 71.53 | 94.6 | 2 | 5 |
| Nicolas Pooran | 8 | 407 | 115 | 67.83 | 120.05 | 2 | 0 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 16 | 638 | 149* | 63.80 | 98 | 1 | 5 |
| Milind Kumar | 23 | 981 | 155* | 57.70 | 104.25 | 3 | 6 |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | 5 | 249 | 100 | 49.80 | 110.66 | 1 | 2 |
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