Ruturaj Gaikwad opens up on taking Virat Kohli's No. 3 position in T20Is for India: It's just like filling Dhoni's shoes

Virat Kohli may have won India the 2024 T20 World Cup title as an opener, but for the larger part of his glorious career in the shortest format, he was always identified as a No. 3 batter. With the former India captain now having retired from T20Is, the selectors and the team management will keep an eye on getting the best possible replacement for Kohli as the team begins their build-up to the 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup.

With the India-Zimbabwe five-match T20I series kicking off last Saturday in Harare, where the visitors managed to level the contest with a win in the second game by 100 runs, Ruturaj Gaikwad became the first player to audition for Kohli's usual batting role. While he was dismissed for just seven runs in nine games in the series opener, where India incurred a shocking 13-run loss, he bounced back in the second game to smash an unbeaten 77 off 47, lacing seven boundaries and eight maximums.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the third game of the series at the Harare Sports Club, where India will be aiming to take a lead, Ruturaj opened up on filling Kohli's shoes. Although he seemed reluctant in talking about what he labelled as a “huge topic,” he likened it to replacing the legendary MS Dhoni as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2024 season.

“It is actually a huge topic, and it isn't the right point to think about it, compare with him or even try to fill his shoes because it is relatively very tough and hard. As I said during the IPL as well, it is difficult to fill Mahi bhai's shoes. You want to start your own career, play your own game and that is the priority right now,” he said.

Unlike his current role in the Indian line-up for the Zimbabwe series, Ruturaj predominantly plays in the opening position in T20 cricket. However, he is happy to contribute in whatever position the team requires him to bat.

“Wherever the team wants me to bat, I'm willing to bat there. There isn't much difference between opening and No. 3, because you have to play against the new ball,” he added.

It is yet to be seen whether Ruturaj, even after his stunning knock in the second game, will be retained for the third match with the arrival of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, who were all rested for the opening two matches after being part of the T20 World Cup campaign.