Mumbai (National Times): In a bold and progressive move, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Shubman Gill as the captain of India’s Test team for the upcoming tour of England. The announcement came as part of a comprehensive squad reveal that blends youth, experience, and promise in equal measure.
At just 25, Gill becomes one of the youngest captains in India’s red-ball history. His appointment is seen as a strategic step towards building a long-term leadership core in Test cricket, especially with an eye on future World Test Championship cycles. Gill replaces Rohit Sharma, who is not part of the current squad, signaling a generational handover.
Rishabh Pant, who recently returned to competitive cricket after a long injury layoff, has been named the vice-captain and wicketkeeper, underlining the team management’s faith in his maturity and game-changing ability.
India’s Test Squad vs England:
- Shubman Gill (Captain)
- Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain, WK)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul
- Sai Sudharsan
- Abhimanyu Easwaran
- Karun Nair
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Dhruv Jurel (WK)
- Washington Sundar
- Shardul Thakur
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
- Akash Deep
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
This squad sees the inclusion of multiple uncapped or emerging players like Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel, all of whom have impressed in domestic cricket and India A tours. Senior fast bowlers Bumrah, Siraj, and Thakur lead a potent pace attack, while Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja are expected to shoulder spin responsibilities.
The England tour, scheduled to begin in late June, will test this new-look Indian side on seaming tracks, where their resilience, temperament, and Gill’s leadership will be closely watched.
With the BCCI making a decisive shift toward the future, all eyes will now be on how this youthful team adapts to the challenges of English conditions and Test match pressure.
