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Ayushi Singh

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Shubman Gill named India's new Test captain

India squad announced for India vs England Test series: Who is India's new Test captain?

Shubman Gill named India's new Test captain (Photo - X)

The BCCI has named Shubman Gill as India's new Test captain. The 25-year-old batsman has succeeded Rohit Sharma in the leadership role in the longer format. Additionally, the board has announced the India squad for the upcoming tour of England. The India vs England Test series, set to begin on June 20, will mark the start of a new WTC cycle for the team. Rishabh Pant has been named the vice-captain of the side, assisting Gill in the leadership role.

This new cycle also brings significant changes to the Indian squad. Following the exits of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, a relatively inexperienced team takes center stage. In a major update, the management has called up Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair to fill the void left by Kohli and Rohit’s retirements. Moreover, seamer Arshdeep Singh has received his maiden Test call-up for the series.

Shubman Gill leapfrogs Jasprit Bumrah to be named India's new Test captain for the India vs England series

The abrupt announcements by Rohit Sharma and, subsequently, Virat Kohli to retire from Test cricket left fans shaken. Their exits created a void in the Indian Test set-up that needed to be filled swiftly ahead of the new WTC cycle. Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, the names of Jasprit Bumrah and Shubman Gill dominated discussions about the most suitable candidate to become India’s new Test captain. While Bumrah brought leadership experience in the longer format, concerns over managing his workload placed him at a disadvantage in the race.

Among the likes of Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, it was Shubman Gill who emerged as the frontrunner. While Gill’s batting has yet to make a strong statement in overseas conditions, the young batsman had been earmarked as the future captaincy prospect. With the BCCI seemingly seeking stability in India’s Test set-up following the retirement of senior players, Gill naturally rose to the top of the list. Moreover, a report released just hours before the official announcement stated that Bumrah would be unavailable for the entire India vs England series.

The India tour of England includes five Test matches, scheduled from June through August. Meanwhile, the seamer has opted to avoid putting his body through the strain of such a demanding schedule. The last time Bumrah attempted to bowl across five consecutive matches, he suffered a back injury. He played a pivotal role in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, emerging as the 'Player of the Series' with 32 wickets across five matches. Though India lost the BGT 1-3, Bumrah stood out with his stellar performance. However, by the time the Sydney Test, the final fixture, arrived, his back had weakened under the workload. That injury also ruled him out of the subsequent ICC Champions Trophy.

Recognizing the physical demands on his body, Bumrah has decided against playing all five Tests and informed the BCCI of his condition. While understandable, these injury concerns ultimately worked against his captaincy chances. As a result, Shubman Gill has been promoted to the leadership role ahead of the India vs England series. Additionally, Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the vice-captain of the Indian squad.

Sai Sudharsan, Arshdeep Singh earn maiden Test call-ups in India squad for India Tour of England

Apart from the captaincy announcement, the BCCI also released the India squad for the England tour. Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan have been handed call-ups to the national team on the back of brilliant domestic performances. Nair, who became the second Indian to score a triple century back in 2016, has waited a long time to return to the Indian Test set-up. Sudharsan, meanwhile, has impressed across formats, and it was only a matter of time before he caught the selectors' attention.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh joins Sai Sudharsan among the players receiving maiden call-ups for the India vs England Test series. Amid ongoing discussions around Jasprit Bumrah's workload management, the BCCI has opted to add depth to the bowling line-up. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep make up the core pace attack for the series. Additionally, Shardul Thakur has earned a recall to the squad, with Nitish Kumar Reddy included in the pace-bowling all-rounder position.

Ishan Kishan, who was named in the India A squad for the England tour, has not been selected for the main team. Dhruv Jurel has been named the back-up wicketkeeper, while Rishabh Pant has been appointed vice-captain. Along with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav have been chosen to lead the spin department for the India vs England series.

India squad for India vs England Test series

Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC) (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

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