The BCCI have announced India's squad for the Test tour of England – here's the complete list of players selected to feature in the five-match series.
The India squad for the England tour is on expected lines, with a good portion of the contingent the same as the one that went to Australia. That tour marked the end of R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's career: while the off-spinner retired midway through the series, the two batters signed off months later, just ahead of the England trip.
Gill named new Test captain
The retirements have left India short on experience, but could also be a crucial juncture for a team currently in transition. The biggest talking point is the captaincy change: the new squad will be led by Shubman Gill, who takes over from Rohit. Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant were the other contenders, but the selectors went ahead with the 25-year old top-order batter.
India Test squad: All the reports leading up to the announcement
No place for Shami: is it the end of his Test career?
Among the notable absentees is Mohammed Shami, India's ace quick who has struggled with on-and-off form and fitness.
Karun Nair, who last played a Test in 2017, was called into the squad after a standout domestic season, with a place also reserved for Sai Sudharsan, the 22-year-old left-handed batter who has progressed up the ranks quickly.
The No.4 spot, held for the longest time by Kohli, will be up for grabs, so will the opening spot left vacant by Rohit.
Among all-rounders, 33-year-old Shardul Thakur earned his comeback as well: he has played Tests in England before, taking 10 wickets at 37, adding experience to a pace attack weakened by Shami's absence. The spin attack will be helmed by Jadeja for the first time since Ashwin's retirement.
India squad for England Tests
Batters
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran
Wicketkeepers
Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul
All-rounders
Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur
Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
