The BCCI men’s selection committee named a potent 18-man squad for the away England Tests starting June 20 in Leeds. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are absent owing to their Test retirements earlier in May, India will also miss its premier quick, Mohammed Shami, for the five-match series. Ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack; however, chief selector Ajit Agarkar has warned the fans of a possible blow during the two-month red-ball cricket show.&nbsp;Bumrah was India’s vice-captain on its last away tour Down Under; even though Rohit captained the side in three matches, he missed two games for separate reasons, with Bumrah leading India in his absence. The pacer helped India win the series opener in Perth but failed to guide them home in the final game at the SCG, where he left the field early on day two with back stiffness.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-eng-vs-ind-2025-new-era-of-indian-cricket-begins-social-media-reacts-to-shubman-gill-appointment-as-new-india-test-captain-1748086145116">‘New era of Indian cricket begins’ – Social media reacts to Shubman Gill’s appointment as new Test captain</a> &nbsp;The right-arm quick remained out of action for nearly four months, missing the home white-ball leg against England, the 2025 Champions Trophy and several games for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. Bumrah returned to action midway through the tournament, helping Mumbai claw their way back into this season and into the playoffs. &nbsp;Meanwhile, coming off another back injury that kept him away for a few months, the selectors and the BCCI’s medical team have warned him against playing all matches on the England tour, like how it happened against Australia, where, after playing four matches on the trot, his back gave up in the final game.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-shubman-gill-appointed-as-new-india-test-captain-succeeds-rohit-sharma-ahead-of-england-tour-1748074092630">Shubman Gill appointed as new India Test team captain, succeeds Rohit Sharma ahead of England tour</a> &nbsp;During an official presser in Mumbai on Saturday (May 24), chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained what stopped them from promoting Bumrah from vice-captain to captain. &nbsp;"Booms [Bumrah], because he led in Australia, he was the vice-captain for, but once he's not going to be available for all the Test matches (he couldn't be part of the captaincy conversation)," Agarkar said.&nbsp; &nbsp;"He is more important to us as a player. We want him fit. There's always that extra burden when you are managing 15-16 other people. There's a lot that it takes out of you. We'd rather have him bowling as well as he does than putting that extra burden on him. &nbsp;"He is aware of it. We've had a chat with him, and he's okay with it. He knows where his body's at, and he'd rather look after himself and be bowling fit. It was more his workload management and having him fit as a bowler, more than anything else,” Agarkar continued.&nbsp;

First Shami and now Bumrah Head selector Agarkar warns fans of double blow in ENG Tests

The BCCI men’s selection committee named a potent 18-man squad for the away England Tests starting June 20 in Leeds. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are absent owing to their Test retirements earlier in May, India will also miss its premier quick, Mohammed Shami, for the five-match series. Ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack; however, chief selector Ajit Agarkar has warned the fans of a possible blow during the two-month red-ball cricket show. Bumrah was India’s vice-captain on its last away tour Down Under; even though Rohit captained the side in three matches, he missed two games for separate reasons, with Bumrah leading India in his absence. The pacer helped India win the series opener in Perth but failed to guide them home in the final game at the SCG, where he left the field early on day two with back stiffness. Also read | ‘New era of Indian cricket begins’ – Social media reacts to Shubman Gill’s appointment as new Test captain The right-arm quick remained out of action for nearly four months, missing the home white-ball leg against England, the 2025 Champions Trophy and several games for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. Bumrah returned to action midway through the tournament, helping Mumbai claw their way back into this season and into the playoffs. Meanwhile, coming off another back injury that kept him away for a few months, the selectors and the BCCI’s medical team have warned him against playing all matches on the England tour, like how it happened against Australia, where, after playing four matches on the trot, his back gave up in the final game. Also read | Shubman Gill appointed as new India Test team captain, succeeds Rohit Sharma ahead of England tour During an official presser in Mumbai on Saturday (May 24), chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained what stopped them from promoting Bumrah from vice-captain to captain. "Booms [Bumrah], because he led in Australia, he was the vice-captain for, but once he's not going to be available for all the Test matches (he couldn't be part of the captaincy conversation)," Agarkar said. "He is more important to us as a player. We want him fit. There's always that extra burden when you are managing 15-16 other people. There's a lot that it takes out of you. We'd rather have him bowling as well as he does than putting that extra burden on him. "He is aware of it. We've had a chat with him, and he's okay with it. He knows where his body's at, and he'd rather look after himself and be bowling fit. It was more his workload management and having him fit as a bowler, more than anything else,” Agarkar continued.

During an official presser in Mumbai on Saturday (May 24), chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained what stopped them from promoting Bumrah from vice-captain to captain.

First Shami and now Bumrah – Chief selector Agarkar warns fans of double blow in ENG Tests

Ace batter <a href="Shubman Gill appointed as new India Test team captain, succeeds Rohit Sharma ahead of England tour">Shubman Gill succeeded Rohit Sharma in becoming the new India Test captain</a>, an official BCCI statement confirmed on Saturday (May 24). Following Rohit’s shock Test retirement early this month, the selectors picked Gill as his successor, overlooking other options like premier quick Jasprit Bumrah and seasoned batter KL Rahul. Meanwhile, another Test regular, keeper Rishabh Pant, is named Gill’s deputy, with both leading India’s 18-man squad for the forthcoming England tour.&nbsp;Gill’s appointment as the Test skipper comes on the back of his magnificent run as the Gujarat Titans’ captain in the IPL. After failing to lead the side home in his debut season as captain last year, Gill’s GT has reached the IPL 2025 playoffs; they are currently leading the points table with 18 points in 13 contested matches. Although they are sure of playing the knockouts, finishing inside the top two remains their prime target. &nbsp;Alongside naming Gill as the new Test captain, the men’s selection committee picked the 18-man squad for the challenging England tour, starting with the first Test in Leeds on June 20.&nbsp; &nbsp;While Virat Kohli and Rohit are absent, owing to their Test retirements recently, the selectors have picked a blend of experience and youth in the squad, recalling several players, including batter Karun Nair and all-rounder Shardul Thakur. The selectors have also rewarded Gill’s opening partner at GT, Sai Sudharsan, with his debut India call-up for England Tests. &nbsp;Besides Sai, who would likely play inside the top three should he get picked, the Ajit Agarkar-led committee also brought in seamer Arshdeep Singh, who adds value to the already-stacked pace attack led by Bumrah.<h2>Here is India’s 18-man Test squad for the England series – &nbsp;</h2>Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain, wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), 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 and Arshdeep Singh &nbsp;Meanwhile, Gill’s appointment sent social media into a frenzy, with fans and experts hailing this move, with several calling this ‘a new era of Indian cricket.’&nbsp; &nbsp;Check out some of the best posts on X.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗿𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄! 🇮🇳🤍 Congratulations Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, it’s your time to shine the brighTEST. Go on, build your legacy, and turn dreams into reality! 🤌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBold</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%B2%A8%E0%B2%AE%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%AERCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ನಮ್ಮRCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/uOV9lvojdb">pic.twitter.com/uOV9lvojdb</a>&mdash; Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets/status/1926197868219482124?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It was predictable, almost inevitable. It is a huge honour and I wish <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShubmanGill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShubmanGill</a> the calmness and humility to take on a fine tradition forward&mdash; Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/1926193094170447954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The baton of India’s Test captaincy is passed on to Shubman Gill 🤩 More ➡ <a href="https://t.co/zjp0pptofI">https://t.co/zjp0pptofI</a> <a href="https://t.co/4esAehy2dv">pic.twitter.com/4esAehy2dv</a>&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1926193262173311096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Jos Buttler Instagram story to congratulate India new test captain Shubman Gill. CAPTAIN GILL ERA BEGINS <a href="https://t.co/PCBW5j31Uj">pic.twitter.com/PCBW5j31Uj</a>&mdash; Ahmed Says (@AhmedGT_) <a href="https://twitter.com/AhmedGT_/status/1926229243719008305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The ultimate elite format, one of the biggest transitions in Indian Cricket off late, the ever challenging English conditions, one of our youngest captains ever so many epic factors around, nervousness-excitement-fears-hope everything! Upwards we look! CAPTAIN GILL ERA BEGINS. <a href="https://t.co/uJUiQgV4Up">pic.twitter.com/uJUiQgV4Up</a>&mdash; samidha (@yardslayy) <a href="https://twitter.com/yardslayy/status/1926197728054247492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Well done, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShubmanGill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShubmanGill</a>! Big congratulations on becoming the Indian Test Captain. I am sure you will make the country proud! 🙌&mdash; Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) <a href="https://twitter.com/SDhawan25/status/1926235408477605900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Shubman Gill has a great chance to grab this opportunity with both hands. Young team, expectations low - he needs to shine with the bat and lead by example. Gill needs to remember Gabba and what an inspired young team can do.&mdash; Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohammadKaif/status/1926240221055660303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Many Congratulations to Sai Sudarshan, Arshdeep Singh, Karun Nair for being selected for the ultimate format and the challenging English summer. Congratulations to Shubman Gill for being appointed as Indian test captain. But surely team India is going to miss Mohammed Shami’s…&mdash; Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrfanPathan/status/1926194227324629502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShubmanGill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShubmanGill</a> on being appointed India’s new Test captain. From a promising young batter to leading the team in the purest format, his journey has been remarkable. Wishing him great success in this new chapter. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShubmanGill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShubmanGill</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> <a href="https://t.co/yH9dTla4Wj">pic.twitter.com/yH9dTla4Wj</a>&mdash; Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShuklaRajiv/status/1926202213145215192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New era of Indian cricket begins Social media reacts to Shubman Gill appointment as new Test captain

Ace batter Shubman Gill succeeded Rohit Sharma in becoming the new India Test captain, an official BCCI statement confirmed on Saturday (May 24). Following Rohit’s shock Test retirement early this month, the selectors picked Gill as his successor, overlooking other options like premier quick Jasprit Bumrah and seasoned batter KL Rahul. Meanwhile, another Test regular, keeper Rishabh Pant, is named Gill’s deputy, with both leading India’s 18-man squad for the forthcoming England tour. Gill’s appointment as the Test skipper comes on the back of his magnificent run as the Gujarat Titans’ captain in the IPL. After failing to lead the side home in his debut season as captain last year, Gill’s GT has reached the IPL 2025 playoffs; they are currently leading the points table with 18 points in 13 contested matches. Although they are sure of playing the knockouts, finishing inside the top two remains their prime target. Alongside naming Gill as the new Test captain, the men’s selection committee picked the 18-man squad for the challenging England tour, starting with the first Test in Leeds on June 20. While Virat Kohli and Rohit are absent, owing to their Test retirements recently, the selectors have picked a blend of experience and youth in the squad, recalling several players, including batter Karun Nair and all-rounder Shardul Thakur. The selectors have also rewarded Gill’s opening partner at GT, Sai Sudharsan, with his debut India call-up for England Tests. Besides Sai, who would likely play inside the top three should he get picked, the Ajit Agarkar-led committee also brought in seamer Arshdeep Singh, who adds value to the already-stacked pace attack led by Bumrah. Here is India’s 18-man Test squad for the England series – Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain, wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), 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 and Arshdeep Singh Meanwhile, Gill’s appointment sent social media into a frenzy, with fans and experts hailing this move, with several calling this ‘a new era of Indian cricket.’ Check out some of the best posts on X.

Alongside naming Gill as the new Test captain, the men’s selection committee picked the 18-man squad for the challenging England tour, starting with the first Test in Leeds on June 20.&nbsp;

‘New era of Indian cricket begins’ – Social media reacts to Shubman Gill’s appointment as new Test captain

Team India continues to deal with massive blows in its preparation for the away England tour starting June 20 in Leeds. While they are already without their premier batters and former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, owing to their Test retirements, they will also be without ace quick <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mohammed-shami">Mohammed Shami</a> for the challenging England Tests.&nbsp;While Shami is fit to bowl for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the remaining league phase games, an ESPNcricinfo report suggests that he has not built up the necessary workload for Tests, having not played one since losing the last World Test Championship (WTC) Final to Australia in June 2023. &nbsp;The report read that a BCCI medical staff member travelled to Lucknow this week to assess Shami ahead of SRH’s game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB); it remains unclear if the selectors have made up their minds about Shami’s selection, but they are likely to play safe and keep him in reserves unless a favourable report from the medical team comes out. &nbsp;Shami, 34, missed out on over one year of cricket following the home ODI World Cup final in 2023 due to several injuries, the ankle one to begin with. Though Shami recovered from that in February 2024, but began experiencing pain in his right knee, for which he has been undergoing treatment since. &nbsp;Shami returned to the cricket field late last year in the Ranji Trophy but took his time before returning to the Indian Team for the 2025 Champions Trophy, leading the pace attack in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. He fared well in the eight-team tournament, helping India lift the trophy for the record third time.&nbsp; &nbsp;But what that knee pain did to him was hinder his plan to increase his workloads towards Test cricket levels. That, however, made the selectors think twice about having him onboard for the away England Tests.<h2>Shami before and after injury &nbsp;</h2>Before getting injured, Shami was the leading run-scorer in the ODI WC, returning with 23 wickets in just seven matches, helping India reach the finale. His semi-heroics, wherein he returned with seven wickets against New Zealand at the Wankhede, had everyone cheering for him. That, however, was the beginning of the end of his brilliant run, as injuries marred his career soon after. &nbsp;Fast forward to IPL 2025, Shami hasn’t been at his best at SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). He played in nine of the 13 contested matches, picking just six wickets, averaging 56.16, and at an economy rate of 11.23.&nbsp;

After Kohli and Rohit, another top star to miss England Tests, this time a pacer – Report

Team India continues to deal with massive blows in its preparation for the away England tour starting June 20 in Leeds. While they are already without their premier batters and former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, owing to their Test retirements, they will also be without ace quick Mohammed Shami for the challenging England Tests. While Shami is fit to bowl for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the remaining league phase games, an ESPNcricinfo report suggests that he has not built up the necessary workload for Tests, having not played one since losing the last World Test Championship (WTC) Final to Australia in June 2023. The report read that a BCCI medical staff member travelled to Lucknow this week to assess Shami ahead of SRH’s game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB); it remains unclear if the selectors have made up their minds about Shami’s selection, but they are likely to play safe and keep him in reserves unless a favourable report from the medical team comes out. Shami, 34, missed out on over one year of cricket following the home ODI World Cup final in 2023 due to several injuries, the ankle one to begin with. Though Shami recovered from that in February 2024, but began experiencing pain in his right knee, for which he has been undergoing treatment since. Shami returned to the cricket field late last year in the Ranji Trophy but took his time before returning to the Indian Team for the 2025 Champions Trophy, leading the pace attack in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. He fared well in the eight-team tournament, helping India lift the trophy for the record third time. But what that knee pain did to him was hinder his plan to increase his workloads towards Test cricket levels. That, however, made the selectors think twice about having him onboard for the away England Tests. Shami before and after injury Before getting injured, Shami was the leading run-scorer in the ODI WC, returning with 23 wickets in just seven matches, helping India reach the finale. His semi-heroics, wherein he returned with seven wickets against New Zealand at the Wankhede, had everyone cheering for him. That, however, was the beginning of the end of his brilliant run, as injuries marred his career soon after. Fast forward to IPL 2025, Shami hasn’t been at his best at SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). He played in nine of the 13 contested matches, picking just six wickets, averaging 56.16, and at an economy rate of 11.23.

Shami, 34, missed out on over one year of cricket following the home ODI World Cup final in 2023 due to several injuries, the ankle one to begin with.

The BCCI selectors will announce India’s Test squad for the away England tour on Saturday (May 24), and per the latest reports, they are unlikely to take any surprising decisions. While ace batter Shubman Gill remains the frontrunner to succeed Rohit Sharma as the new Test captain, talks of selectors rewarding Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair with spots in the Test squad are doing the rounds.&nbsp;Following the IPL 2025 final on June 3, the Indian players will shift their attention to the five-match Test series against England starting June 20 in Leeds, for which the men's selection committee will meet in Mumbai over the weekend to finalise the squad.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-test-retirement-spree-continues-as-sri-lanka-batting-great-angelo-mathews-latest-to-call-time-on-red-ball-career-1747996581980">Test retirement spree continues as Sri Lanka batting great latest to call time on red-ball career</a> &nbsp;A Cricbuzz report suggests that barring a few names, the Test squad would likely look the same as that that travelled Down Under for the previous tour. Outside of the batting greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who announced their Test retirements earlier this month, the Indian Test team would appear almost similar. &nbsp;While the selectors are keen to have domestic giant Karun Nair on the board for the away England Tests, they are also sure of rewarding the left-handed Sudharsan for a brilliant batting display in the domestic tournaments and IPL 2025 lately.&nbsp; &nbsp;During the past season, Karun was among runs across formats, scoring 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy games, including four centuries, and 779 in eight contested Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, bettering his hundreds’ record (five). &nbsp;On the other hand, Sudharsan, 23, is the leading run-getter thus far in IPL 2025, having scored 638 runs in 13 outings.&nbsp; &nbsp;Both batters are part of the India-A squad for the three-match shadow tour, including two against the England Lions and one against the senior men’s team. While Karun would depart with the first batch within two days, the selectors named Sai for the second match as his IPL team (Gujarat Titans) reached the playoffs, which will conclude with the final in the first week of June. &nbsp;However, unlike at GT, where he opens alongside Gill, Sai would not open in England, with the selectors likely sticking with the pair of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top. Although the report suggested that head coach Gautam Gambhir has communicated his stance on the batting order, Sai’s batting position hasn’t been discussed yet.&nbsp; &nbsp;Also, given that Gill might move down to number four, taking over the spot that two former greats – Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli occupied for close to 30 years combined, one of Sai or Nair would bat at number three. &nbsp;Moreover, the selectors are also reported to have chatted about bringing back Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara for the challenging England series; they are unlikely to go ahead with that as they wish to move forward and not fall back on their ageing stars.&nbsp;

Selectors to reward Sai Sudharsan Karun Nair in line for India return for England Tests Report

The BCCI selectors will announce India’s Test squad for the away England tour on Saturday (May 24), and per the latest reports, they are unlikely to take any surprising decisions. While ace batter Shubman Gill remains the frontrunner to succeed Rohit Sharma as the new Test captain, talks of selectors rewarding Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair with spots in the Test squad are doing the rounds. Following the IPL 2025 final on June 3, the Indian players will shift their attention to the five-match Test series against England starting June 20 in Leeds, for which the men's selection committee will meet in Mumbai over the weekend to finalise the squad. Also read | Test retirement spree continues as Sri Lanka batting great latest to call time on red-ball career A Cricbuzz report suggests that barring a few names, the Test squad would likely look the same as that that travelled Down Under for the previous tour. Outside of the batting greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who announced their Test retirements earlier this month, the Indian Test team would appear almost similar. While the selectors are keen to have domestic giant Karun Nair on the board for the away England Tests, they are also sure of rewarding the left-handed Sudharsan for a brilliant batting display in the domestic tournaments and IPL 2025 lately. During the past season, Karun was among runs across formats, scoring 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy games, including four centuries, and 779 in eight contested Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, bettering his hundreds’ record (five). On the other hand, Sudharsan, 23, is the leading run-getter thus far in IPL 2025, having scored 638 runs in 13 outings. Both batters are part of the India-A squad for the three-match shadow tour, including two against the England Lions and one against the senior men’s team. While Karun would depart with the first batch within two days, the selectors named Sai for the second match as his IPL team (Gujarat Titans) reached the playoffs, which will conclude with the final in the first week of June. However, unlike at GT, where he opens alongside Gill, Sai would not open in England, with the selectors likely sticking with the pair of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top. Although the report suggested that head coach Gautam Gambhir has communicated his stance on the batting order, Sai’s batting position hasn’t been discussed yet. Also, given that Gill might move down to number four, taking over the spot that two former greats – Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli occupied for close to 30 years combined, one of Sai or Nair would bat at number three. Moreover, the selectors are also reported to have chatted about bringing back Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara for the challenging England series; they are unlikely to go ahead with that as they wish to move forward and not fall back on their ageing stars.

During the past domestic season, Karun was among runs across formats, scoring 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy games, including four centuries, and 779 in eight contested Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, bettering his hundreds’ record (five).

Selectors to reward Sai Sudharsan; Karun Nair in line for India return for England Tests - Report

In the latest development surrounding India&rsquo;s five-match away Test series against England starting shortly after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gautam-gambhir" rel="dofollow">Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir</a> will lead the first batch of players and staff leaving for the UK on June 6. While the BCCI is working on the departure schedule of the Test squad (unannounced yet), the reports suggest that non-IPL-playoffs-bound players shall leave early.
Former India Test captain Rohit Sharma, alongside his longtime teammate and batting veteran Virat Kohli, retired from red-ball cricket just before the squad announcement, sending shockwaves down the cricket fraternity. Their departure meant BCCI selectors would struggle to assemble the best team for the England Tests this time.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eng-vs-ind-2025-no-clear-choice-for-indias-test-captaincy-yet-as-selectors-unsure-of-gill-dicey-over-bumrah-report-kl-rahul-9071145" rel="dofollow">ENG vs IND 2025: No clear choice for India's Test captaincy yet as selectors unsure of Gill, dicey over Bumrah - Report</a>
Although certain first-team players, including KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, alongside a couple more, would get picked no matter what, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee could likely rope in several new faces or those making right noises in the domestic circuit; some including Karun Nair, who will likely travel with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-bcci-prioritises-domestic-giants-over-ipl-stars-in-india-a-squad-for-england-tour-report-abhimanyu-easwaran-karun-nair-9058227" rel="dofollow">India-A squad</a>, alongside uncapped opener Abhimanyu Easawaran.
The BCCI is also said to handpick a few more uncapped players, including Baba Indrajith and Tanush Kotian, and those who will not be part of the IPL playoffs, including gloveman Dhruv Jurel, in the India-A squad.&nbsp;Akash Deep is another name tipped to travel with the India-A squad, while reports of seasoned all-rounder Shardul Thakur making the cut in the senior team are doing the rounds.
"The players who get free from the IPL during the league stage are likely to leave with coach Gambhir on June 6. The rest will leave after a short break post the IPL 2025 commitments," a senior BCCI official, as quoted by the Times of India (TOI).&nbsp;
<h2>IPL-playoffs-bound players to leave later</h2>
With no Rohit and Kohli around, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (should LSG reach IPL 2025 playoffs), and Jasprit Bumrah would travel in the next batch, whose departure date remains undisclosed.&nbsp;
Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings captain, is also tipped to make his return to the Test side, replacing Kohli at number, and would also be on that flight to the UK should the selectors pick him. Another name highly anticipated to get picked for the England Tests is Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan, second on the list of most runs scored thus far this season (509 runs in 11 contested matches).&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals), Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (SunRisers Hyderabad) could be part of the first batch to leave for the UK since their respective IPL teams are out of the IPL 2025 Playoffs race. &nbsp;

With no Rohit and Kohli around, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah would travel in the next batch, whose departure date remains undisclosed. Sports, Cricket

In the latest development surrounding India’s five-match away Test series against England starting shortly after IPL 2025, Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir will lead the first batch of players and staff leaving for the UK on June 6. While the BCCI is working on the departure schedule of the Test squad (unannounced yet), the reports suggest that non-IPL-playoffs-bound players shall leave early. Former India Test captain Rohit Sharma, alongside his longtime teammate and batting veteran Virat Kohli, retired from red-ball cricket just before the squad announcement, sending shockwaves down the cricket fraternity. Their departure meant BCCI selectors would struggle to assemble the best team for the England Tests this time. Also read | ENG vs IND 2025: No clear choice for India's Test captaincy yet as selectors unsure of Gill, dicey over Bumrah - Report Although certain first-team players, including KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, alongside a couple more, would get picked no matter what, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee could likely rope in several new faces or those making right noises in the domestic circuit; some including Karun Nair, who will likely travel with the India-A squad, alongside uncapped opener Abhimanyu Easawaran. The BCCI is also said to handpick a few more uncapped players, including Baba Indrajith and Tanush Kotian, and those who will not be part of the IPL playoffs, including gloveman Dhruv Jurel, in the India-A squad. Akash Deep is another name tipped to travel with the India-A squad, while reports of seasoned all-rounder Shardul Thakur making the cut in the senior team are doing the rounds. "The players who get free from the IPL during the league stage are likely to leave with coach Gambhir on June 6. The rest will leave after a short break post the IPL 2025 commitments," a senior BCCI official, as quoted by the Times of India (TOI). IPL-playoffs-bound players to leave later With no Rohit and Kohli around, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (should LSG reach IPL 2025 playoffs), and Jasprit Bumrah would travel in the next batch, whose departure date remains undisclosed. Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings captain, is also tipped to make his return to the Test side, replacing Kohli at number, and would also be on that flight to the UK should the selectors pick him. Another name highly anticipated to get picked for the England Tests is Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan, second on the list of most runs scored thus far this season (509 runs in 11 contested matches). Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals), Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (SunRisers Hyderabad) could be part of the first batch to leave for the UK since their respective IPL teams are out of the IPL 2025 Playoffs race.

ENG vs IND 2025: Gautam Gambhir to leave with first batch on June 6; IPL-playoffs-bound players to arrive later

What is the latest on India&rsquo;s Test captaincy front? Have the selectors and the coach decided on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shubman-gill" rel="dofollow">Shubman Gill</a> as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow">Rohit Sharma</a>&rsquo;s replacement, or are they contemplating picking ace seamer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jasprit-bumrah" rel="dofollow">Jasprit Bumrah</a> as the new red-ball leader? Nothing seems to have been finalised yet.
Before it all came crashing down for India&rsquo;s Test Team following the BGT Down Under, premier quick Bumrah was to succeed Rohit in Tests. He had led the side in two matches against Australia, in Perth and Sydney, where Rohit remained absent for different reasons. Although India won the series opener at the Optus Stadium, their only win on the tour, Bumrah had to leave the final Test at the SCG due to a back issue, with them losing it inside three days.
Bumrah's fitness has been the management&rsquo;s ultimate worry, having already lost him for close to eight to ten months earlier. Even though India has found success in his absence, with the 2025 Champions Trophy triumph being the latest instance, they would need Bumrah on the England tour, especially after India&rsquo;s Test batting lost its two jewels in Rohit and Virat Kohli to Test retirements.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2025-playoffs-cricket-south-africa-does-u-turn-on-their-players-availability-wtc-final-2025-prep-to-begin-in-june-9070906" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025 Playoffs: Cricket South Africa does U-Turn on their players&rsquo; availability; WTC Final prep to begin in June</a>
Also, considering the consensus that Bumrah must not play more than two Tests on the trot, the BCCI could find it tough to replace him with someone as the Test captain for just one game and then return to Bumrah whenever he returns. Avoiding such complications would be on the agenda when head coach Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee sit to pick the squad for the England Tests.&nbsp;
Per several reports, the BCCI selectors would unveil the new Test captain on May 23, probably announcing the Test squad alongside.
<h2>Why no Gill then?</h2>
If not Jasprit Bumrah, then why not Shubman Gill? What is stopping the BCCI selectors from picking the captain for the future?&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s because Gill has yet to crack the overseas Test code.&nbsp;
India&rsquo;s top-order batter moved places since the away West Indies&rsquo; Tests last year, dropping to number three. Although he has been a fantastic ODI batter since his debut, scoring runs for fun in all conditions, Gill has been a pale shadow of that in Tests, averaging just over 35 in 32 matches.&nbsp;
With India coming into this series on the back of two successive losses against New Zealand and Australia, conceding another Test series would be a disaster; also, knowing the selectors have a task at hand to pick a new-look batting order, burdening Gill with added responsibility would do no good.
Besides, barring these two, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are the remaining options India has.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen who the selectors pick as India&rsquo;s next Test captain.&nbsp;

Following the BGT 2024/25, Bumrah was always going to lead India in the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, starting with the away England Tests. Sports, Cricket

What is the latest on India’s Test captaincy front? Have the selectors and the coach decided on Shubman Gill as Rohit Sharma’s replacement, or are they contemplating picking ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah as the new red-ball leader? Nothing seems to have been finalised yet. Before it all came crashing down for India’s Test Team following the BGT Down Under, premier quick Bumrah was to succeed Rohit in Tests. He had led the side in two matches against Australia, in Perth and Sydney, where Rohit remained absent for different reasons. Although India won the series opener at the Optus Stadium, their only win on the tour, Bumrah had to leave the final Test at the SCG due to a back issue, with them losing it inside three days. Bumrah's fitness has been the management’s ultimate worry, having already lost him for close to eight to ten months earlier. Even though India has found success in his absence, with the 2025 Champions Trophy triumph being the latest instance, they would need Bumrah on the England tour, especially after India’s Test batting lost its two jewels in Rohit and Virat Kohli to Test retirements. Also read | IPL 2025 Playoffs: Cricket South Africa does U-Turn on their players’ availability; WTC Final prep to begin in June Also, considering the consensus that Bumrah must not play more than two Tests on the trot, the BCCI could find it tough to replace him with someone as the Test captain for just one game and then return to Bumrah whenever he returns. Avoiding such complications would be on the agenda when head coach Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee sit to pick the squad for the England Tests. Per several reports, the BCCI selectors would unveil the new Test captain on May 23, probably announcing the Test squad alongside. Why no Gill then? If not Jasprit Bumrah, then why not Shubman Gill? What is stopping the BCCI selectors from picking the captain for the future? It’s because Gill has yet to crack the overseas Test code. India’s top-order batter moved places since the away West Indies’ Tests last year, dropping to number three. Although he has been a fantastic ODI batter since his debut, scoring runs for fun in all conditions, Gill has been a pale shadow of that in Tests, averaging just over 35 in 32 matches. With India coming into this series on the back of two successive losses against New Zealand and Australia, conceding another Test series would be a disaster; also, knowing the selectors have a task at hand to pick a new-look batting order, burdening Gill with added responsibility would do no good. Besides, barring these two, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are the remaining options India has. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen who the selectors pick as India’s next Test captain.

ENG vs IND 2025: No clear choice for India's Test captaincy yet as selectors unsure of Gill, dicey over Bumrah - Report

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