Gill appointed as India's new Test captain for England tour, Pant named vice-captain

Right-handed batter Shubman Gill has been appointed arsenic India’s 37th Test skipper arsenic main selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 18-member squad connected Saturday for the important five-match circuit of England, starting connected June 20. 

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been named arsenic the vice-captain. The Agarkar-led enactment committee, on with BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia arsenic the gathering convener, picked the squad successful a gathering astatine the BCCI HQ successful Mumbai, earlier announcing it successful a ceremonial property league addressed by him and Shiv Sunder Das.

"We discussed each enactment that's there, implicit the past twelvemonth oregon so, we've looked astatine Shubman astatine assorted times. Taken a batch of feedback from the dressing room. Very young, but there's been improvement.”

“We're hopeful he's the guy. He's a terrific player, our champion wishes to him. You don't prime captains for 1 circuit oregon 2 tours. We've seen immoderate advancement implicit the past twelvemonth oregon 2 with him. No uncertainty it's going to beryllium arsenic pugnacious arsenic it gets," said Agarkar connected Gill’s elevation arsenic captain.

Gill has played arsenic an opener and fig 3 batter for India successful Tests, and helium present takes up the enactment relation aft Rohit Sharma announced his status from the format earlier this month. In 32 Tests, Gill has scored 1893 runs astatine an mean of 35.1, with 5 centuries and 7 fifties against his name.

Gill’s erstwhile enactment experiences successful the Indian squad person been overseeing 4-1 T20I bid triumph successful Zimbabwe past twelvemonth and being the white-ball vice-captain, including erstwhile the broadside won the 2025 Champions Trophy successful Dubai. In first-class cricket, Gill has been the skipper conscionable 5 times – with his grounds speechmaking a win, 2 defeats and arsenic galore draws.

Gill, 25, is presently starring Gujarat Titans, who are connected apical of IPL 2025 points table, and are acceptable to diagnostic successful the playoffs. His GT teammates and coaching unit members person lauded Gill for his proactiveness, calmness and tactical nous.

In the squad, Karun Nair returns to the Test squad aft 7 years, portion Arshdeep Singh and B Sai Sudharsan get their maiden Test call-ups. There’s nary spot for seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami, who Agarkar said is not afloat acceptable to grip the rigours of playing Test cricket.

"He's had a small spot of a setback implicit the past week, got immoderate MRIs done. Wasn't going to beryllium capable to play 5 Tests. Don't deliberation his workload is wherever helium needs to be. Medical guys told he'll beryllium ruled out. We were hoping he'll play immoderate part, but if he's not fit, we'd alternatively prime guys acceptable and disposable alternatively than waiting," helium said.

Agarkar besides said Gill and caput manager Gautam Gambhir volition instrumentality a telephone connected batting make-up aft reaching England. “They mightiness instrumentality a telephone connected opener erstwhile they get there. But erstwhile they get there, they'll person a deliberation astir that."

Agarkar besides revealed Bumrah won't play each 5 Tests successful England, adding that the accelerated bowling spearhead is much important to the broadside successful his superior relation alternatively of taking implicit the enactment mantle.

"Don't deliberation he'll beryllium disposable for each 5 Tests. Whether it's 4 oregon three, we'll spot based connected however the bid goes and his workload is. Even if he's acceptable for 3-4 Tests, he'll beryllium an plus for us. Just blessed he's portion of the squad. He’s much important to america a player.”

“Once you're managing people, there's a batch that takes retired of you. We've had a chat with him, he's good with it. He knows wherever his body's at. KL not really, he's captained a portion back, he's a prime subordinate and anticipation helium has a large series. With Booms, it was much astir his workload management."

India’s all-important Test bid against England runs from June 20 to August 4, with Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford and The Oval being the venues. India are aiming to triumph a Test bid successful England for the archetypal clip since 2007.

India's squad for England Tests: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jasiwal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav.

(This communicative was taken from a syndicated provender and was lone edited for benignant by Gujarat Samachar Digital team)