For the first time ever, Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh have been called up to India’s Test squad.
There were many names in the discussion for Test captaincy. But the selectors ultimately placed their trust in Shubman Gill, who stood out above the rest. India has named him the successor to Rohit Sharma as the new Test captain. Under his leadership, the team will begin a new red-ball chapter on the upcoming England tour.
India announced an 18-member squad on Saturday for the five-Test series against England. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the vice-captain.
One of the most notable names in the squad is Karun Nair, who makes a return to the national team after seven years. The 33-year-old batter had faded from the scene but is back in the mix. Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh have earned their maiden Test call-ups.
Experienced pacer Mohammed Shami hasn’t found a place in the squad. He’s still searching for form after recovering from an ankle injury and wasn’t at his best during the IPL either.
Earlier this month, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket within five days of each other. Back in December, Indian cricket legend Ravichandran Ashwin also hung up his boots. Without these stalwarts, a new journey now begins for India in the elite format.
After Rohit’s retirement, several names were floated as potential Test captains. Alongside Gill, contenders included vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, and Rishabh Pant. But at 25, Gill emerged as the top choice.
Under Gill’s captaincy, Gujarat Titans are enjoying a superb run in the IPL, currently sitting atop the points table and securing a playoff spot.
Bumrah, often battling injuries, fell behind in the captaincy race and wasn’t even named vice-captain this time.
Karun Nair hasn’t played for India since 2017. Though he was included in the squad for the 2018 England tour, he didn’t feature in any matches. In total, he has played seven Tests, with just one standout performance — an unbeaten 303, his only century.
Nair was in spectacular form during the 2024–25 domestic season, sparking widespread debate about his return. Ultimately, the consistent middle-order batter has been given another chance.
Representing Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-over format), he scored 779 runs in eight innings, getting out just once. He hit five centuries — four of them consecutive — and set several records.
In the Ranji Trophy (first-class cricket), Nair was also in sublime touch, scoring 863 runs at an average of 53.93, with four centuries and two fifties. Only three players scored more runs than him in the tournament.
Over his first-class career, Nair has played 183 innings, scoring 8,211 runs at 49.16, with 23 centuries and 36 fifties.
Sai Sudharsan, another fresh face in the Test team, has been in top form with the bat in this IPL. The 23-year-old Gujarat batter has scored 638 runs in 13 matches, including one century and five fifties, with a strike rate of 155.99 and an average of 53.16.
Sudharsan has already represented India in three ODIs and one T20I, and now he’s set to step into Test cricket. In 29 first-class matches, he has scored 1,957 runs at an average of 39.93, with seven centuries and five fifties.
Arshdeep Singh, who has played nine ODIs and 63 T20Is, now has a chance to represent India in whites. In IPL 2025, he has taken 16 wickets in 12 matches for Punjab. In 21 first-class games, he has claimed 66 wickets.
Other specialist pacers in the squad include Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna. All-rounders Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy add pace-bowling options.
The only specialist spinner in the team is left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will support as spin-bowling all-rounders.
The batting department features Gill, Sudharsan, and Nair, alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Abhimanyu Easwaran. Dhruv Jurel has been included as the second wicketkeeper-batter.
Sarfaraz Khan and Harshit Rana, who were part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad, have been left out. Devdutt Padikkal and Tanush Kotian, who were reserve players during the Australia series, also miss out on the England tour.
The five-match Test series between India and England begins at Headingley on June 20. The remaining matches will be played at Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval.
India’s Test Squad
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-captain & Wicketkeeper), 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.
