Karun Nair's comeback journey to India's Test squad after 8 years in the post-Rohit, Kohli era
The BCCI announced India's squad for the five-match Test series in England on Saturday, with Shubman Gill being named as the side's new red-ball captain.
Indian cricket entered a new era on Saturday as the BCCI announced the squad for the upcoming five-match Test series in England, confirming Shubman Gill as the new Test captain. The announcement has formally kick-started a generational shift in India's red-ball cricket; for the first time in over a decade, the Test squad features neither Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, nor Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom bid farewell to the format within the last six months.
Gill, 25, takes over the reins from Rohit Sharma, who called time on his 11-year Test career earlier this month after playing 67 Tests and scoring over 4,300 runs. Kohli had stunned the cricketing world with his retirement roughly a week later, bringing to a close an illustrious career that spanned 123 Tests and defined an era. With Ashwin also retiring in December last year, India now enters a transitional phase ahead of a demanding English summer.
Karun Nair’s Journey Back to Test Cricket
Among the key inclusions in the squad was that of Karun Nair, who makes a return after over 8 years, having last played for India in March 2017 during the home series against Australia. Nair was rewarded for his stunning performances in domestic cricket in the previous season, where he played a key role in guiding Vidarbha to the Ranji Trophy title win. Nair finished with 863 runs in the Ranji Trophy with an average of over 53.
Sarfaraz Khan, however, was omitted from the 18-member squad after being a regular feature in the Test setup over the past year. The batter announced his arrival in style with strong performances in his maiden Test series against England last year. Even in the series against New Zealand, Sarfaraz smashed a brilliant 150 in the first Test but failed to capitalise on the momentum, registering scores of 11, 9, 0 and 1 over the next two Tests. He didn't play a game during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rishabh Pant was named Gill's deputy for the series, as the youngster was given the leadership role after consistently stellar performances in the format over the past years. Pant was crucial to India's away series wins in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21 and also produced match-winning outings in multiple home matches in Tests. Despite his relatively underwhelming performances in the 2024/25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the BCCI have placed its trust in the youngster.
The tour, scheduled from June to August 2025, will see India play five Tests at iconic venues – Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval. This is India’s first bilateral red-ball series since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where the side faced a 3-1 loss. The result denied India a third-straight shot at the World Test Championship, with Australia and South Africa qualifying for June's final.
Profiles of the New Faces in the Squad
Among the fresh faces in the squad are left-handed opener Sai Sudharsan and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, both earning their maiden Test call-ups. Arshdeep has long been a permanent fixture in India's white-ball squads, and his consistent performances, along with his natural variations, boosted his case for a maiden Test call-up. Sudharsan, meanwhile, has been among the most consistent youngsters in the Indian domestic circuit, and has also played for India in limited-overs formats.
The build-up to the series includes three India ‘A’ matches against England Lions, starting May 30 in Canterbury. Abhimanyu Easwaran has been named captain for those matches, with Dhruv Jurel as vice-captain. Notably, Gill and Sudharsan will join the ‘A’ squad ahead of the second fixture, offering them an early taste of English conditions before the senior series begins.
India's squad:
Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk/vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav
