Not since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli decided not to play in the India Test Team has Sai Sudharsan received the attention of the public. Part of his fame is from playing in the IPL for which he is quite consistent, and now he is set to join the test team to play the IND vs ENG series. But the matter of main interest is - which position? When the batsman from Tamil Nadu was playing as an opening batsman in IPL 2025, and when he was always opening in the local championship series, he scored 617 runs. The team may think to get him to go and replace KL Rahul as the opener who will play alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in England. But here is the point you will find difficult to understand. The thing is that even though Sudharsan has notched up a good white-ball score, still, he is in a transitory state from one format to another. Besides, this is the test format in which Sarfaraz Khan has shown his maturity but, on the other hand, Sudharsan is relatively new with his little experience of proving anything. Though he has been given opportunities in T20I and ODI recently, his transition to red-ball cricket in England will be an uphill task, particularly with the Dukes ball making an early, late or a deep move in its 40 overs. Do you think Sudharsan will handle such a challenge? KL Rahul vs Sai Sudharsan: Who should open? Had Rohit remained, the opening would have belonged to him. The options now are Shubman Gill and KL Rahul. Gill is expected to become the new Test captain of India and may bat at No. 3. Rahul offers a superior alternative, being a utility player with no fixed berth but has batted well at the top order in the past. Rahul's century at Lord's and his amassed 600 runs in England at an average of 37.31 speak for themselves. This gives Gautam Gambhir the toughest decision: to go with experience or risk youth. KL Rahul in England Pitches: Batting position Inns Runs HS Avg 100 50 Overall 18 614 149 34.11 2 1 As an Opener 16 597 149 37.31 2 1 At No 3 2 17 13 8.50 0 0 Incidentally, Sudharsan is a flexible player himself. His adaptability was showcased through a half-century at No. 4 and a ton at No. 6 for Surrey in England. With India A, he's played at No. 3 and notably scored an important century there in Australia. The left-hander Jaiswal might force Gambhir's hand to favor a right-hander, which would point to Rahul for balance. That asks Rahul for the edge. Even as a backup middle-order batter in Australia, he opened when Rohit missed the first Test and scored 77 and 84 in two big innings. With his role slowly transitioning over the last couple of years, the management might even prefer to give him a fixed spot in the opening position. Read also: Digvesh Rathi crosses boundary, triggered Abhishek Sharma after dismissing him Gills, on the other hand, are supposedly being talked about as the replacement for Kohli at No. 4. Gill had a shot at No. 3 after Pujara was dropped but he failed to click. Away from home, he averages just 19.27, with a top score of 36. Most of his runs have come at home. With two legends leaving Test cricket, India may have to rearrange their batting order. One possibility is Gill moving to No. 4; this would open the spot for Sudharsan at No. 3. Alternatively, Sudharsan and Jaiswal could be opening while Gill remains at No. 3 and Rahul at No. 4. It is a big call on which sort Gautam Gambhir has his eyes.