Shubman Gill will become the fifth-youngest player to captain India’s Test team when he leads the side against England at Leeds on 20th June.
The Punjab batsman, aged 25 years and 285 days, was named captain for the five-match series following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket earlier this month.
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi remains India’s youngest Test captain, having led the team at 21 years and 77 days in 1962 against the West Indies.
Meanwhile, Pacer Mohammed Shami was not picked in India’s squad for the five-match Test series.
Shami, whose last Test was the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in June 2023, made a comeback to the national side earlier this year after undergoing an ankle surgery in February 2024.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, however has cracked into the side following his impressive performance in the domestic cricket last season. But it is to be seen whether he gets opportunity to play in Tests.
However, after eight long years, Karun Nair has returned to the India Test squad for the five-match series against England, beginning June 20. Nair last played for India in 2017, in a Test against Australia in Dharamsala. He has featured in six Tests, scoring 374 runs at an impressive average of 67. Notably, he became only the second Indian batter after Virender Sehwag to score a Test triple century.
Along with Sai Sudarshan, Indian left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has also earned his maiden Test call-up for the upcoming five-match series in England. Arshdeep’s County Championship stint with Kent last year saw him take 13 wickets in five Division 1 matches at an average of 41.76, with best figures of 3/58. In first-class cricket, he’s claimed 39 wickets in 12 matches for Punjab at an average of 28.05. Arshdeep also leads India’s T20I bowling charts with 99 wickets.
“Arshdeep is a quality bowler, he has played county cricket, and domestic cricket. We have watched him over the last couple of years. There is no other reason,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar while announcing the test squad.
India’s squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Test series will commence on June 20th in Leeds before the action moves to Birmingham for the second Test. The Lord’s Cricket Ground will host the third Test, beginning on July 10, 2025. Old Trafford and Kennington Oval will host the fourth and fifth Tests of the series respectively.
