Has Indian Cricket Finally Discovered a Kohli Successor?

India Under-19 will now be making its 10th final appearance in the Under-19 World Cup. This time the team will be going against England yet again. A moment from the game has quickly taken over the internet, where a star of the Indian team was looking way too similar to Virat Kohli. This shows a possible hint of someone who could carry his legacy.

Virat Kohli is nearing his retirement years in the game, and he is expected to play till the 2027 World Cup. Being an all format player for the Indian team, he showcased unreal dominance. With his retirement coming soon, the fans and even Indian team was worried whether there will be someone to take his place or not.

All the worries came to an end after the Indian team went against Afghanistan in the semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup. In this game, Aaron George batted so well, it made the Indian team feel that they are having a player built for pressure situations. He played a crucial role to help India win the game unexpectedly, and reach the finals.

1. George Replicates Kohli

The semi-final match between India and Afghanistan in the Under-19 World Cup was a game dominated by the batters. First it was the Afghanistan’s batting line-up which posted a massive total. They ended up scoring 310 runs in 50 overs, and no team has managed to chase this big of a target in the history of the tournament.

This was the right moment for someone to step up and show that they are built for pressure situations. And he was none other than Aaron George. He came to open for the team along with the explosive batsman, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. While Sooryavanshi played an aggressive knock, George remained stable at the other end.

His batting stance and posture was way too similar to that of Virat Kohli. Even if someone would have watched this game live when George was batting, he or she could have easily mistaken him for Kohli. This was even confirmed by the ICC indirectly, as they posted a photo of George's batting stance and Kohli's batting stance.

Aaron George alone scored 115 runs off 104 balls, which helped India to chase the target with 7 wickets remaining. He won the POTM award in this crucial game, where everyone thought it was impossible for India to grab a win. This resembled that of Virat Kohli too, in the 2023 World Cup, as he played a wonderful knock against New Zealand in the semi-final.

2. India Under-19 Create History

The Indian team has now created history in the Under-19 World Cup. After winning their semi-final game against Afghanistan, the team marched into their 10th final of the tournament. This is the most finals played by any team in the tournament, while Australia stands at 2nd spot with 6 finals. Along with that, India continues its streak of reaching consecutive finals in the Under-19 World Cup.

In the Under-19 World Cup 2022, India also faced England in the finals of the tournament. On that occasion, India was able to come out strong and win their fifth title in the tournament. Now, it will be interesting for the fans to know whether India can add another trophy to their cabinet or will it be England who will take the revenge.

3. Kohli's 2008 Under-19 World Cup Campaign

Virat Kohli is among the few captains who have led the Indian team to win the Under-19 World Cup. He did this back in the 2008 edition, when India was looking for players who would be the successor of Sachin Tendulkar. And Kohli stepped up so well, that his performances eventually helped India to win the title.

Virat Kohli in Under-19 World Cup:

• Innings: 6
• Not Out: 1
• Runs: 235
• Average: 47.00
• Strike Rate: 94.75
• 100s: 1
• 50s: 0

Moreover, Virat Kohli was able to finish that season as the second highest run scorer of the team. His performances in the Under-19 World Cup eventually led to Kohli receiving a maiden call up for the Indian team. Fast forward to 2026, he has now been the greatest ODI batsman the Indian team ever had.

Virat Kohli in International:

• Innings: 626
• Not Out: 91
• Runs: 28215
• Average: 52.73
• Strike Rate: 79.62
• 100s: 85
• 50s: 146

Whether it is the Test format, T20I, or ODI, he has been dominant for India. And with Aaron George resembling Kohli, it seems that the Indian team is building its new Virat Kohli for the upcoming generation. This is somewhat similar to what happened with Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.