Shubman Gill is set to play under a younger captain. The Indian team’s Test captaincy was handed over to Gill after Rohit Sharma’s retirement, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy. However, in the upcoming India-A tour of England, Gill won’t be leading the team.
The India-A team is already in England, playing a series of first-class matches against the England Lions. The first match started on May 30, with Karun Nair scoring 204 runs to help India-A post 557 runs. Gill missed the first match due to IPL 2025 playoff commitments but might play in the second match starting June 6.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, 29, has been appointed captain of the India-A team for the England tour. Easwaran is likely to lead the team in the second match as well, meaning Gill will have to play under him. Sai Sudarshan will also join the India-A team for the second match.
KL Rahul had recently expressed his desire to play in the second India-A vs England Lions match, and the BCCI has approved his request. The main event, however, is the Test series between India and England, starting June 20. England hasn’t won a Test series against India since 2018, so this will be a big challenge for them.
Here’s the full schedule for the India-England Test series:
- 1st Test: June 20-24 (Leeds)
- 2nd Test: July 2-6 (Birmingham)
- 3rd Test: July 10-14 (Lord’s)
- 4th Test: July 23-27 (Manchester)
- 5th Test: July 31-August 4 (The Oval)
The series will be a tough test for both teams, with India looking to continue their dominance over England in Test cricket.