India is set to embark on a new journey in Test cricket following the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin. The BCCI has announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming Test series against England, appointing Shubman Gill as the new captain and Rishabh Pant as vice-captain. The squad features several surprises, including two debutants and a few notable omissions.
Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh have been included in the Indian Test squad for the first time. Sudharsan has caught the spotlight with stellar performances in the ongoing IPL and domestic cricket. He has previously played three ODIs and one T20I for India. Arshdeep, known for his reliability in white-ball formats, now gets a chance in red-ball cricket.
Veteran Karun Nair makes a return to the Test setup after eight years, while Shardul Thakur has been recalled after a gap of 18 months.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, yet to debut internationally, has once again been included in the squad. Despite past call-ups, he is still waiting for his maiden Test appearance.
Among the batters in the squad are Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Easwaran, Gill, Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Dhruv Jurel. The all-rounders include Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, offering two spin and two pace options.
Kuldeep Yadav is the lone specialist spinner, while the pace unit comprises Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and Arshdeep Singh.
Notably missing is experienced pacer Mohammed Shami, who is still not fully fit to play Test cricket. After undergoing ankle surgery, Shami returned to the field earlier this year but has been visibly struggling in the ongoing IPL. Other omissions include Sarfaraz Khan and Harshit Rana from the previous Border-Gavaskar series. Replacement players Tanush Kotian and Devdutt Padikkal have also been left out.
India’s Full Squad for the England Series:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain & Wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh.
The England series will mark the beginning of India’s campaign in the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle. The first Test will begin on June 20 at Headingley. The rest of the schedule is as follows:
July 2 – Edgbaston
July 10 – Lord’s
July 23 – Old Trafford
July 31 – The Oval
This series not only signifies the start of a new WTC cycle but also a fresh chapter in India’s Test cricket journey.
UA / TDS
