Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket is set to leave a huge void in Indian cricket, as this marks the end of an era in Indian cricket ahead of the marquee five-match Test series against England, where the team will go with a new captain.While the choice of the new skipper will have the eyes of the world, a big question for India to answer is who bats at number four.

For the last 33 years, the elusive spot in the batting order has been occupied by Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.Tendulkar was moved to the position in January 1992 during the Australia tour and made it his own for more than two decades.

Post the Indian cricket legend's retirement in 2013, the national team saw a seamless transition as Kohli stepped into the position and dominated Test cricket around the globe. As Kohli leaves the scene, India has a big vacuum to fill. Who will take the most important position in India's batting order?

Who Will Be India's Next Number Four?

Shubman Gill: Shubman Gill is likely to be named as the next Indian captain in Test cricket. While he started his career and then moved to number three, his returns have not been modest so far.

With India having an abundance of top-order options in the bench and calls for Gill to bat lower down the order, the 25-year-old seems the perfect contender to take the number four spot, which will ensure that a rookie player does not have to deal with the pressure.KL Rahul: While KL Rahul is likely to open the batting after Rohit Sharma's retirement, the Indian team has played around with Rahul's position in the last few years. In fact, he started the 2024-25 series by batting in the middle order against Bangladesh before being dropped for the final two Tests against New Zealand and returning as opener in Australia. Despite his success in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), Rahul was once again demoted to number three in the Boxing Day Test. Rahul batted at number four in the opening test of the home series against England in 2024 in Kohli's absence, and it will not be a surprise if the team turns to him again.Shreyas Iyer: It was not long ago that Shreyas Iyer was considered a key part of India's Test future as the team decided to move past Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Shreyas was the chosen one for the vacant middle order spot but he has not played a Test match for more than a year now. However, his recent success in white-ball cricket, including the Champions Trophy has made him a prime contender to earn a comeback to the Test team, and the vacant number four spot is somewhere he could fill in. Shreyas batted in that position in his final Test against England in Hyderabad. Sai Sudharsan: Sai Sudharsan is widely expected to earn a maiden Test call-up following his success across formats in domestic cricket and the IPL. The 23-year-old has shown the technique and temperament to succeed in Test cricket. Sudharsan is a top-order batter who usually opens or bats at number three in red-ball cricket, but he batted at number four for India 'A' against Australia 'A in the second unofficial Test last year and could be drafted in at that position for the series. Rajat Patidar: Virat Kohli's IPL captain at RCB, Rajat Patidar, could take over his throne. It is worth remembering that Patidar played three matches for India in Test cricket and was chosen to bat at number four in two of them against England. He batted at number four. Patidar failed to make an impact, but his talent is not in doubt and certainly a player who deserves a longer rope.Devdutt Padikkal: Devdutt Padikkal was the latest entry into the Indian Test team among batters, having played two Tests so far. While he batted at number three in the Perth Test, he made his debut batting at number four at Dharamshala against England in 2024. As a player who is already in the squad, his name cannot be ruled out for the spot.