New Delhi: Rohit Sharmas decision to retire from Test cricket has left a gap in Indias opening position in the longest format. The BCCI is now focused on finding a suitable replacement ahead of the upcoming Test series against England. The five-match series between India and England is scheduled to begin on June 20. According to a PTI report Sai Sudharsan is quickly becoming a top contender to take over the opening spot in the Indian Test team following Rohit Sharmas retirement from the format. The promising left-handed batsman has been making consistent strides in his career and has already gained international exposure having debuted for India in white-ball cricket in 2023. Sudharsan has also been a standout performer in IPL 2025 for Gujarat Titans (GT). The GT opener accumulated 509 runs across 11 innings before the tournament was paused for a week due to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The 23-year-old is reportedly closing in on his Test debut. Last year (2024) the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) included Sudharsan in the India A squad where he impressed by scoring a century against Australia A. However at that time the Indian team management did not deem him ready for a senior call-up and instead chose to play Devdutt Padikkal. The situation has now shifted. With Rohit Sharma retiring from Test cricket the second opening spot is now up for grabs. According to a PTI report Sudharsan has caught the BCCIs attention. There had been previous conversations about him being considered as a backup opener behind Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Now with Rohit no longer in the picture Sudharsan looks like a top contender for the opening role. However the team still has experienced players like Shubman Gill and KL Rahul so one of them may still be chosen ahead of Sudharsan. If he doesn’t get the opener role there is a chance the left-hander could be slotted into the number three position. Although Sai Sudharsan was unable to feature in the full Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season he still made an impact in the games he participated in. In his three outings he boasted an impressive average of 76 including a remarkable double century against Delhi. Unlike some of his competitors for the spot such as Yashasvi Jaiswal Sarfaraz Khan and Nitish Kumar Reddy Sudharsan has the edge due to his prior experience playing in England. His two-year stint with Kent in the County Championship has provided him with valuable exposure to English conditions. This experience could make Sudharsan an ideal candidate for a quick call-up particularly for demanding tours like the upcoming one where his familiarity with English conditions may be seen as a key advantage.