Who will replace Pujara and Rahane?

India has maintained its hold on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since the 2014-15 series, winning the last two tours in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. As the Indian cricket team prepares for the upcoming five-match Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia, expectations are high for India to continue their winning streak.

With the possibility of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, who have been out of the squad for some time, not making a return, the focus has shifted to finding suitable replacements for these key positions in India's lineup.

When asked who could step in for Pujara and Rahane in the upcoming series, Dinesh Karthik named Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan as potential candidates.

"Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan. Both of these batters performed exceptionally well against England in the home series earlier this year. I believe both of them will be on that flight to Australia and will give their best efforts. We will see if they can fill the big shoes of Ajinkya and Pujji (Pujara). They have the talent and calibre to do so," Karthik said on the HeyCB with DK show on Cricbuzz.

Given the recent impressive performances by younger players, a return for Rahane and Pujara seems unlikely.

Shubman Gill, who has played 25 Test matches, has scored 1,492 runs at an average of 35.52, including 4 centuries and 6 half-centuries. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan has featured in 3 Test matches, scoring 200 runs.