A month out from the first Test between India and England, the visitors' squad is expected to be announced any day now. Here's what it could look like.
When India went to Australia in 2024, they named a squad of 18 players, with Rohit Sharma coming in from the second Test to make it 19 players. Part of the reason they had such a large squad was the overlap between the main squad and the India A squad which travelled to Australia ahead of time.
India once again have an A squad travelling to England before the main team arrives, meaning they could pick a similarly-sized squad – what could this look like?
Find the full India A squad for the England tour here.
Batters
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran
The big question here is who steps into the shoes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli; two automatic spots for the last half-decade or so are suddenly up for grabs. Three batters here are almost guaranteed to make it.
Yashasvi Jaiswal averages nearly 53 as an opener after 19 Tests, including a particularly testing tour of Australia. Shubman Gill is, by all accounts, the favourite to take over as Test captain despite an underwhelming record overseas, and KL Rahul has been India's utility man for as long as anyone can remember – capable of batting virtually anywhere in the top six, and taking the wicketkeeping gloves if needed.
Sai Sudharsan is likely to make the squad thanks to his exceptional IPL form. He was in the scheme of things during the Australia tour, and scored a high-class century for India A on a difficult wicket. Sarfaraz Khan still has one of the best first-class batting records in India and is part of the A squad, so anything barring failure after failure, should see him retain a spot as one of the spare batters.
Abhimanyu Easwaran has earned a promotion of sorts to captain of India A, so he might be seen as a genuine backup opener. A 101-match first-class career with a batting average of just under 49 is not shabby at all.
Wicketkeepers
Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel
Rishabh Pant may be having a torrid IPL campaign, but he remains far and away India's No.1 wicketkeeping option in Test cricket – and possibly their best batter alongside Jaiswal. He hasn't quite looked back to his best since returning from his horrific injury in December 2022, but there have been flashes of form here and there.
Dhruv Jurel is only four Tests old, having made his debut when England visited India last year. In Australia, he played the first Test in Perth as a batter, when Rohit Sharma was unavailable. Solid with both bat and gloves, there are very few other contenders to be Pant's deputy behind the stumps.
All-rounders
Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar
Ashwin, Rohit and Kohli may have retired but Ravindra Jadeja is still on the scene, and still India's number one spinner overseas, thanks to his ability to keep things tight and bat in the top seven. He walks into not only India's squad but their playing XI as well.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is nominally an all-rounder, but in reality has been a part-time bowler at best in Test cricket. He could come into the picture as a fourth seamer, but as of now remains a batter capable of playing in the top six. A spot in the side could be easier to come by now that Rohit and Kohli are gone, and India need not compromise on their bowling to play him.
With Ashwin out of the picture, Washington Sundar is India's premier off-spinner in Test cricket, although it's not entirely clear where he lies on the batting-bowling spectrum of all-rounders. He does appear to be a personal favourite of head coach Gautam Gambhir though, and is extremely likely to make the squad.
Spinner
Kuldeep Yadav
One of the increasingly sparse wrist spinners going around in Test cricket, Kuldeep tormented England at home in 2024 – and if the wickets this summer are a touch dry, he could do the same here as well. Whether he makes India's starting XI is a different story, but he should be in the squad.
Pacers
Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep
Bumrah's spot needs no explanation. He is even a candidate for Test captaincy. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are also fairly straightforward choices; they are both in good IPL form, and did well whenever called upon in Australia.
Shardul Thakur did not travel Down Under, but is in the India A squad and his batting could help him earn a spot in the main squad. A potential county deal with Essex did not materialise – if it had, his status may have been more clear.
Harshit Rana and Akash Deep were the other two quicks who played in Australia, but both had their share of ups and downs. Like Thakur, both are in the India A squad, and might have an edge over the other pacers thanks to their most recent selections.
Mohammed Shami is worth mentioning. On quality alone, he is one of India's three best quicks, but his fitness has been in question for close to six months now. He has not been included in the India A squad either – it would be a gamble to select him for the main team without the potential of practice there, meaning he might not make it at all.
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