Shubman Gill Becomes Test Captain & Shami Unfit As BCCI Picks Squad for England Tour

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s Test squad for the upcoming tour of England. Shubman Gill has been appointed the new Test captain of the Indian cricket team, with Rishabh Pant getting the vice-captaincy role.

The squad marks the beginning of the new era in Indian cricket following the Test retirements of two of India’s modern-day greats, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who retired within days of each other earlier this month.

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Shubman Gill: India’s New Test Captain

After Rohit Sharma’s departure, the selectors were looking to appoint a captain who could lead the side for a long time. Hence, they decided to go with Shubman Gill instead of someone like Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, who have prior experience of leading the country in Test cricket.

Karun Nair, who last played for India back in March 2017, has been rewarded with a place in the squad, following his incredible performances in domestic cricket.

Comebacks & Maiden Call-Ups

All-rounder Shardul Thakur also makes a comeback to the Indian Test team, while fast bowler Arshdeep Singh and in-form batter Sai Sudarshan have earned their maiden Test call-ups.

Mohammed Shami Not Fit for Selection

The biggest surprise was the omission of veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami, whose last Test appearance was the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia.

After a year-long hiatus, Shami returned to action for the Indian team ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy and played a key role in India’s triumph. He even played for SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2025.

When asked about his exclusion, chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that Shami, unfortunately, wasn't available for selection as his MRI test showed new setbacks.

Doubt Over Bumrah’s Full Availability

The rest of the squad has been picked on the expected lines, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the pace-battery, comprising Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh.

The selection of six fast bowlers in the 18-member squad also hints that Bumrah might be unable to participate in all five Test matches. The series begins on June 20 and ends on August 4.

India’s Test squad for the England tour:

Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk, vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh Kuldeep Yadav