5 wicketkeepers who can replace KL Rahul in Indian cricket team

India's long-time wicket-keeper KL Rahul has been struggling with his form for quite some time now. Even in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 between India and Australia, the 30-year-old has failed to leave a mark following a string of low scores.

Such was the disappointment with KL Rahul's form that he was stripped off the vice-captaincy and was even dropped from the team ahead of the third Test to make way for Shubman Gill. With major ICC tournaments scheduled to take place later this year, these could be clear signs of BCCI considering to move on from Rahul.

In Rahul's absence, it would be a difficult conundrum to zero in on one or two players to fill in his shoes. While India certainly has a lot of potential with regards to players behind the stumps, BCCI would look to leave no stone unturned before picking anyone up and would want to go ahead with someone who can be a long-term asset for the team. With Rishabh Pant's unfortunate accident, this quandary becomes all the more tricky.

In this listicle, we try to look at 5 such players who could possibly replace Rahul in the Indian team:

1. Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan is undoubtedly the first name that has to be on the list. The 24-year-old has already made a mark in the shorter formats of the game for Team India. He made his international T20 debut for India back in 2021 against England. In his first match itself, he struck a sublime half-century to announce his arrival on the bigger stage.

Kishan made his ODI debut in the same year and hasn't faltered since while competing for the cluttered spot of wicket-keeper batter in team India. In ODIs, the youngster has made his presence felt as he smashed the fastest ever double-century in the history of ODI cricket, playing against Bangladesh in December 2022. He broke the record earlier held by Chris Gayle.

Apart from his batting skills, Kishan is also a very handy wicketkeeper. His acrobatic skills have made him a safe choice behind the stumps. After placing his contention in white-ball cricket, he was named in the Test squad for the ongoing Test series against Australia, though he is yet to take the field in whites. Kishan can turn into an all-format wicket-keeper for India shall he acclimate himself to the longest format.