Team India likely to add THIS pacer to the squad ahead of England series opener - Report

Indian speedster Harshit Rana has been reportedly asked to stay back in the UK and could be included in the senior squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Rana was part of the India A squad that played two four-day unofficial Test matches against the England Lions. He also took part in an intra-squad game in the Indian camp that took place in the build-up to the England series.

Rana to be added to India squad?

According to an IANS report, Rana will remain in England with the Indian squad ahead of the series opener in Leeds on June 20. The pacer, who was part of the Indian team in the Australia tour will face an anxious wait for his inclusion in the England series.

Players from the India A team who are not part of the main Test squad or don’t have county contracts are expected to return home on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old pacer played in the first match against the England Lions at Canterbury, where he took one wicket for 99 runs and scored 16 runs with the bat.

ALSO READ | ICC to sanction plans for four-day Test matches in 2027-29 WTC cycle? Here's what we know so far

If included in the squad, it will be Rana’s second big tour with the Indian team. Earlier, he made his Test debut for India during the Australia series, where he picked up four wickets at an average of 50.75, with a best of 48/3.

Shubman Gill era begins

The new-looked Indian side will begin the Test series on June 20 in Leeds with Shubman Gill in charge. This will be the first Test assignment for Team India in the post-Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma era, who called time on their careers in May.

Match Details (India vs England, 1st Test – Leeds)

Start Date: June 20

Start Time: All matches will begin at 3:30 p.m. IST

Live Streaming: The series will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network, with online streaming available on JioHotstar.

India Squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-captain & Wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav