5 players who could play 100 Tests for India in the future

Virat Kohli is set to become the 13th cricketer to play 100 Tests for Team India. The 33-year-old will accomplish the milestone when India will lock horns with Sri Lanka in the opening Test, starting March 4 at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.

Even as Kohli is standing on the verge of the milestone, there are quite a few other Indian players, who could go on to play 100 Tests for Team India.

In the article, let’s look at 5 players who could play 100 Tests for India the future

1. Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara won’t be a part of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka after being dropped due to poor form. But the fact that he has played quite a few match winning knocks for the Indian team over the years can’t be denied by any stretch of the imaginations.

He has played 95 Tests thus far and could well go on to play 100 Tests for India. Pujara is ninth in the list of all-time leading Test run-scorers for the national team. The right-hander has notched 6713 runs at an average of 43.87 with 18 tons to show for his efforts.  

2. Ravi Ashwin

Ravi Ashwin has played 84 games for India in the purest format and has every chance of playing 100 Tests for India in the future. At the age of 35, he is third in the list of all-time wicket-takers for India in Test cricket. In 84 Tests, Ashwin has picked up 430 wickets with 30 five-wicket hauls to his name.

Ashwin has also been touted to break the records set by the legendary Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. Ashwin is also 156 runs short of scoring 3000 Test runs. After initially scoring four tons against the West Indies, he notched one against England last year at the Chepauk.

3. Mohammed Shami

There was a time when Mohammed Shami used to blow a hot and cold. He used to be erratic and leak runs at alarming rates. But times have changed and the Bengal seamer is an integral member of the Indian Test team over the last three years or so.

Shami is one of the contenders to play 100 Tests for Team India in the future. At the age of 31, the pacer has played 57 Tests and picked up 209 wickets with 11 four-wicket hauls and six five-wicket hauls. Shami is one of the reasons behind India’s dominating run of late.

4. KL Rahul

KL Rahul made his Test debut in the series where MS Dhoni retired from the purest format. Thereafter, the batter found it tough to cement his place in the national team. But since India’s Test series in England last year, Rahul has found his mojo and has been scoring runs at will.

He has already played 43 Tests in which he has notched 2547 runs at an average of 35.37 with seven tons to his name. Rahul is only 29 years old and has every chance of playing 100 Tests for India. The right-hander has done an excellent job while opening the batting.

5. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant made his Test debut in 2018 after replacing Dinesh Karthik in the playing eleven. From there on, he has had to fight for his spot with the likes of Wriddhiman Saha. Pant is someone who prefers to go for his shots and take the attack to the opposition bowling without any fears.

At the age of 24, Pant has already played 28 Test matches and has scored 1735 runs at an average of 39.43 with four tons and seven fifties. He has every chance of playing 100 Tests for India.