With Virat Kohli looking to retire from Test Cricket soon, Ajinkya Rahane could be in luck with becoming part of the Indian side once again. The experienced Mumbai batsman last played a Test match in July 2023 and has been away from the selectors' views. As India go to England without Rohit Sharma and with Kohli potentially also not being available, they will need someone on the middle-order for consistency. Rahane is one of the most experienced players still active in the domestic circuit. Even though it has been almost two years since his last Test cap, his performances in domestic cricket have kept him on the selectors' proposals. He could be the established head that India needs after Kohli retires. Rahane has played 85 Tests, scoring 5077 runs at 38.46 average in which he had 26 fifties and 12 hundreds. In first class cricket, he has , in total, 14,000 runs from 201 matches and his average is 45.16. Clearly, there is proof of his ability to bat long time and to accumulate runs with experience. Format Mat Inns Runs Ave SR 100s 50s Tests 85 144 5077 38.46 49.50 12 26 FC 201 340 14000 45.16 53.21 41 59 In English conditions, including as the first-class player at County Championship, Rahane played 31 innings and scored 864 runs in England, including a century and six fifties in those innings. He also played the County Championship and had valuable experience in those difficult UK pitches. Also Read | Virat Kohli's Test Future: Why India Still Needs Him Now The past year has shown that Rahane has found the form once again. Rahane was the highest scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and scored 467 runs in the 9 Ranji Trophy matches at an average of 35.92 and his good form has continued into IPL 2025 as well, and Rahane has 375 runs in 12 matches as captain for KKR at an average of 37.50. With Kohli and Rohit expected to be absent for the England tour, Rahane’s form and wealth of experience make him a solid candidate for a Test return. The five-match series starts on June 20.