In a major development for Indian cricket, Shubman Gill has been appointed captain of the national Test team for the upcoming five-match series against England, set to begin on June 20.
Gill, who made his Test debut just five years ago, steps into the leadership role following the retirement of veteran opener Rohit Sharma from red-ball cricket last month.
The announcement came after a selection committee meeting held at the BCCI headquarters at Wankhede Stadium.
With this appointment, Gill becomes the 37th Test captain for India. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been named vice-captain for the England tour.
The series is poised to usher in a new chapter for the Indian team, especially after the recent retirements of Rohit and former skipper Virat Kohli from Test cricket. Both, however, have chosen to continue in the ODI format.
New Faces and Notable Absences
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been left out of the squad, as selectors expressed concerns over his fitness and ability to endure the workload required for a five-Test series.
Jasprit Bumrah, who was previously seen as a possible captaincy candidate, is also unavailable for the entire tour due to ongoing injury management, having missed a significant portion of cricket recently after a back injury during the Australia tour.
The squad sees a few fresh faces likely to make their debut. Abhimanyu Easwaran, 29, who was a standby opener on the 2021 England tour, has finally earned a spot in the main squad and could make his Test debut.
Alongside him, Tamil Nadu’s Sai Sudharsan, a promising left-handed batsman who impressed with a century on his first-class debut three years ago, has also been included.
These two, along with KL Rahul, will compete to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The decision on India’s opening combination will be one of the first big leadership calls for Gill as captain.
Backing the New Leader
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar explained that Gill’s promotion was a strategic move based on his recent growth as a cricketer. “You don’t pick captains for a tour or two—you invest in a long-term leader.
We believe Shubman has shown the maturity and progress required for this role. It won’t be easy, but sometimes you have to learn while doing,” said Agarkar.
Gill’s path to captaincy hasn’t been without setbacks. During the recent tour of Australia, he was dropped for two matches in the middle of the series, leading many to speculate that Bumrah would be the long-term Test captain after leading India to a remarkable win in Perth.
However, Bumrah’s injuries made him an unreliable long-term option, opening the door for Gill’s elevation.
On Shami’s exclusion, Agarkar added, “It’s unfortunate. He’s been trying to get back to fitness but has had some setbacks. His current condition doesn’t allow him to play five Tests, so we chose to go with fully fit players.”
India’s Test Squad for England Tour:
- 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
- Akashdeep
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
Test Series Schedule vs England:
- 1st Test: June 20–24 at Headingley, Leeds
- 2nd Test: July 2–6 at Edgbaston, Birmingham
- 3rd Test: July 10–14 at Lord’s, London
- 4th Test: July 23–27 at Old Trafford, Manchester
- 5th Test: July 31–August 4 at The Oval, London
With a young captain at the helm and a blend of new and experienced players, Team India embarks on a crucial transitional phase as it prepares to take on a formidable England side in their backyard.
