The Indian team’s England tour is just around the corner, set to kick off about two weeks after the IPL 2025 wraps up. Team India will face off against England in a five-test match series starting June 20. Amidst rumors that Shubman Gill might be named the new Test captain, a surprising twist has emerged – Gill won’t be joining the team on the England tour. Or will he?
The truth behind this surprising claim lies in the India-A team’s schedule. Before the main Test series, the India-A team will also be touring England, where they’ll play two first-class matches against the England Lions. The BCCI has already announced the India-A squad, and notably, Shubman Gill’s name is missing. Instead, the team features players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Shardul Thakur, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Here’s the thing – Shubman Gill won’t be part of the India-A team for the first match against the England Lions, which starts on May 30. That’s because the IPL 2025 playoffs will be underway around the same time, starting from May 29. As a result, Gill, along with Sai Sudarshan, will miss the first first-class match.
Gill will join the India-A team for the second match against the England Lions, which begins on June 6. He’ll be joined by Sai Sudarshan, and both players will be coming off a strong IPL 2025 season with the Gujarat Titans, where they’ve scored over 600 runs each. Since Gujarat has made it to the playoffs, it’s unlikely they’ll be available for the first match.