Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new captain of India’s Test cricket team, with Rishabh Pant named as vice-captain, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England on Saturday.
The leadership transition comes in the wake of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s recent retirement from Test cricket, marking the start of a new era. The BCCI’s selection committee, led by Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar, made the announcement following a meeting at the board’s headquarters in Mumbai.
Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul were also in contention for the captaincy, but Bumrah’s ongoing injury concerns and Rahul’s age (33) weighed against them in what is being seen as a long-term leadership decision.
The squad features notable inclusions aimed at building a future core. Bengal stalwart Abhimanyu Easwaran has been recalled, and promising Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan makes his Test squad debut after a stellar domestic season. Sudharsan recently amassed 304 runs in three Ranji matches at an average of 76.00, including a double century.
Also returning is Karun Nair, the second Indian to score a triple hundred in Tests, who forced his way back with a remarkable domestic season tally of 863 runs at 53.93.
In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the pace attack, supported by Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Shardul Thakur. Mohammed Shami has not been included due to fitness concerns, Agarkar confirmed.
The five-Test series, a part of the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship, will be played in England from June to August 2025 at iconic venues including Lord’s, The Oval, Edgbaston, Old Trafford, and Headingley.
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
This series marks India’s first Test assignment in the post-Kohli-Rohit era, setting the stage for a generational shift in leadership and team composition.