India’s cricket team, led by Shubman Gill, is gearing up to face England in their first Test starting June 20. The team has already begun preparations in England. In a recent unofficial Test against England Lions, several players from India’s A team made a strong impression, with four of them likely to secure a spot in the playing eleven.
These players, including KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shardul Thakur, and Dhruv Jurel, were part of the India A team that took on England Lions. Now, they’ve joined the Indian squad. Karun Nair, who has a triple century against England under his belt, might make a comeback to the Test team after eight years. He could bat at number four, replacing Kohli. Nair scored 204 runs in the first Test against England Lions and followed it up with 40 and 15 runs in the second Test.
Wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul, who wasn’t initially part of the India A team, requested the BCCI to include him after his IPL team’s early exit. He responded with a century (116) in the second match’s first innings and an half-century in the second innings. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite not scoring big in the two Tests, has been working on adapting to English conditions. He might open the batting with Shubman Gill, given his aggressive style and decent record against England.
Between Shardul Thakur and Nitish Rana, one might make it to the playing eleven. Although neither had a standout performance for India A, Shardul’s past record could give him an edge. Nitish Rana took two wickets in two Tests and scored 135 runs in four innings, while Shardul managed only 80 runs in three innings and took two wickets in the first match. Still, Shardul’s previous performances might earn him a spot in the playing eleven.