Gill named India’s new Test captain ahead of England series

MUMBAI: India ushered in a new era in Test cricket on Saturday by naming 25-year-old Shubman Gill as their new captain for the upcoming five-Test series in England starting June 20. The elegant top-order batter was preferred over pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, marking a significant generational shift in the team’s leadership.

Gill takes over following the recent retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket. Rohit stepped down earlier this month, and Kohli followed suit, prompting selectors to make a forward-looking decision.

Jasprit Bumrah, who had served as vice-captain and led India in two Tests in Australia, was a strong contender. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar emphasized the need to manage Bumrah’s workload. “We’d rather have him bowling as well as he does than putting that extra burden on him,” Agarkar said, adding that Bumrah was consulted and accepted the decision.

Gill’s leadership credentials have been bolstered by his captaincy stint with Gujarat Titans in the IPL, and he now faces the challenge of leading India into a new World Test Championship cycle.

Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, back to full fitness, has been named vice-captain. Fast bowler Mohammad Shami has been left out of the squad, while Kuldeep Yadav is the only specialist spinner. Batters Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair are also in the squad, with Sudharsan eyeing a potential debut and Nair hoping for a long-awaited return to Test cricket.

Squad: 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.