Shubman Gill appointed India’s new Test captain for England series

India has named Shubman Gill as their new Test captain, selecting the promising top-order batter over experienced pacer Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the much-anticipated five-match Test series against England, starting June 20.

The leadership change marks the beginning of a transitional phase for Indian cricket, following the recent Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two stalwarts of the format.

Although Bumrah, 31, has served as Rohit's deputy and even led India in two Tests during their previous tour of Australia, the selectors opted not to hand him the permanent leadership role. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that the decision was made to prioritize Bumrah's fitness and performance as a bowler.

“He’s more important to us as a player. We want him fit. Leading a side comes with additional pressure, and we don’t want to put that burden on him,” Agarkar said during a press conference in Mumbai. “We spoke to him and he completely understood.”

Gill, just 25, will now lead the side into a new World Test Championship cycle. He has already shown leadership potential while captaining the Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Agarkar expressed confidence that Gill’s new role would help him grow as a player.

“You can see this as added responsibility or as an opportunity. He’s shown great signs in franchise cricket. Yes, Test captaincy is tougher, but he’s had good exposure across all formats and that experience will help him,” Agarkar added. “I’m sure he’s excited. After all, who wouldn’t want to captain India in Test cricket?”

Meanwhile, Bumrah is expected to be rested for some games during the England series, and fellow fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been ruled out due to a recent injury.

Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has been appointed vice-captain, signaling his full return to red-ball cricket. Kuldeep Yadav will serve as the only specialist spinner in the squad.

The 18-member squad includes some fresh faces: Sai Sudharsan could make his Test debut, while Karun Nair returns to the setup for the first time since 2017.

Full India squad for England Test series

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