India vs England: The likely top six in India's batting order for the series

The task is cut out for India as they gear up to take on England in their backyard. There is over a decade-long record to overturn, and there's an announcement to make for the newly carved squad. At the fore of these high stakes stands a young captain, set to tackle his maiden Test leadership mantle. The India squad has big shoes to fill after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The former skippers bid an abrupt adieu to their Test careers, leaving the camp before the start of the new WTC Cycle. Now, the Indian batting order awaits a major shuffle as the management tries to find their best bets to replace the seasoned picks, starting with the India vs England Test series.

India's batting lineup for the India vs England Test series

The five-match India vs England Test series is slated to start on June 20 at Leeds, Headingley. It would mark the onset of the new WTC Cycle for the teams. More significantly, the England Tour would note the start of India's new era in red-ball cricket. The recent retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma mean that India would be without three of their most experienced players when counted along with Ravi Ashwin, who retired earlier during the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Virat Kohli walking away right ahead of the India vs England series meant that India's third-highest run-scorer ever in England exited the camp. Clearly, the new India squad, set to be led by Shubman Gill, has a lengthy ask from them on the England Tour. Before leaving for England, the Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and captain Shubman Gill refused to open up about their plans. Highlighting the time left for the Test series to kick off, the captain-coach duo talked about finding the right batting order while in England itself.

Earlier, the selection panel extended the much-awaited call-back to Karun Nair in the India squad for the England Tour. Kohli's exit, along with Nair's relentlessly impressive show in the domestic cycle, paved the way for the seasoned pick to rejoin the national team after almost a decade. Moreover, another domestic star and the Orange Cap winner of IPL 2025, Sai Sudharsan, earned his maiden call-up for the Test series. With the new additions and a look at the performance of India A against England Lions, it cuts a significantly clear picture of what the Indian batting order would look like when the main series starts on June 20.

Openers: KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal

Within just a year of his debut, Jaiswal has made the opening spot in the Indian Test team his own. It was against England when Jaiswal marked his Test debut last year. The batter smashed a century in his maiden innings before scoring a double century to seal his debut series as a record-breaking one. Even in the otherwise disappointing BGT series Down Under, Jaiswal emerged as the highest run-scorer for India as he played his debut series in Australia. Now, as Jaiswal arrives to play his first Test series on English soil, the young opener is anticipated to keep up his debut charm.

While Jaiswal's spot has been settled, the other opening spot needs a replacement for the former captain, Rohit Sharma. However, it's not much of a headache for the Indian management. Even before the retirement of Rohit, KL Rahul showed his ability to capture the top spot. In Rohit's absence, KL Rahul played a splendid knock to open the BGT with the Perth Test. Rahul's exploit at the top pushed the then Indian skipper to demote himself in the order. Now, Rahul sent a reminder again, as the batter scored a century for India A in the second unofficial Test against England Lions.

Number 3 and 4: Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill

Following the gradual departure of Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill claimed the No. 3 spot in the Indian Test batting order as Virat Kohli claimed the charge of the number 4 spot. Now, as Kohli has exited the scene, Shubman Gill, the designated captain, is anticipated to go down to the fourth spot. Meanwhile, the number three position is likely to open up for the young Sai Sudharsan. Sudharsan didn't play any of the two fixtures for India A preceding the India vs England series. However, with the spot open and the board calling up the Tamil Nadu player, Sudharsan is unlikely to wait for his call-up in the Indian Playing XI for the Test series.

Shubman Gill has the most significant task on the England Tour. The 25-year-old has to prove his batting prowess along with leading the team in the series. While an exceptional talent, Gill is yet to show his true potential in Tests, especially in overseas conditions. Moreover, before the upcoming tour, Gill has played only a single match in England, showing the captain's inexperience in the touring arena.

Number 5 and 6: Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant

Karun Nair backed up his call-up in the India squad for the England Tour with a double century for India A. Freed early from IPL 2025, Karun Nair joined the India A squad for the two matches against England Lions. Meanwhile, the Vidarbha batter smashed a double ton in the first innings itself to show his belonging to the bigger stage. The seasoned pick is likely to walk into the Indian middle order for the opening Test.

Rishabh Pant, along with KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, is one of the few prospects in the India squad aware of the English conditions. The wicketkeeper-batter and now the vice-captain of India, Pant has a century to his name in England. Pant's flamboyant style of play suits the position, with the wicketkeeper providing the surplus of runs down the order.