On May 7, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket.
As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 stays suspended in the near future, the focus will soon turn to international cricket, with India scheduled to tour England for a five-match Test series starting on June 20. This series will also mark the beginning of India’s journey in the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
But before that, on the evening of May 7, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket through an Instagram story, which surprised everyone. This means he will not be part of the England tour. Now, India will need to find both a new batter and a new captain for the Test series.
Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah are among the captaincy options, with Shubman likely to lead as per reports. Sai Sudharsan might be considered for the opener’s spot.
Now let’s take a look at the probable India squad for the Test series against England.
If we look at the batters who could be part of the squad, names like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and Rishabh Pant are likely. Pant and Jurel can also serve as backup options for wicketkeepers.
With Rohit Sharma announcing his retirement from Test cricket, this could be the right time to bring in Sai Sudharsan. He has been consistent in domestic cricket and has already scored over 500 runs in just 11 matches in the IPL for the Gujarat Titans.
Devdutt Padikkal is currently injured and has been ruled out of the IPL. It’s unclear if he will recover in time for the Test series, so he might miss out.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Virat Kohli has informed the BCCI about his decision to retire from Test cricket. However, the selectors have asked him to reconsider, especially with a five-match Test series in England coming up next month.
The selectors are expected to meet soon to finalise the squad for the tour. With both Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepping away, India could start the new World Test Championship cycle with a younger and less experienced core.
Ravindra Jadeja might be picked as one of the all-rounders. He is useful with both bat and ball and adds good balance to the team.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who played well in the Australia tour, could also get a chance. Washington Sundar might also be included to the India squad because he can contribute to both departments.
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Mohammed Shami, who missed the Australia tour due to injury, is now fit and likely to be included in the squad. Even though he hasn’t been in great form, he’s still an important player for the team.
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s best fast bowler, will lead the pace attack. He will be joined by Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana, who have been impressive lately. Akash Deep might be picked as a backup, and Prasidh Krishna, who is in great form in the IPL, could also be selected.
In the spin department, Kuldeep Yadav is expected to join Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in the squad.
Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli (*subject to retirement update), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep.
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