This month, India bid adieu to two of its top players – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – from Test matches. Rohit was a dependable opener and captain, while Kohli was a key player who helped India play more aggressively in Tests. Their retirement leaves a big void in runs, experience, and leadership. They left just before a challenging five-Test series in England, which means the selectors now have to manage a change in the team.
The 18-man squad is led by 25-year old Shubman Gill, who was appointed India's new Test captain by the selection panel headed by Ajit Agarkar at a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday. Agarkar said Jasprit Bumrah, who was India's vice-captain on the recent tour of Australia, was unlikely to play all five Tests in England due to workload management and that was a factor in him not being given the captaincy.
Among the notable inclusions are fresh faces ready to make their mark: Arshdeep Singh and Sai Sudharsan make their Test debut, while Karun Nair, absent from India’s Test whites since 2017, will get a second chance to script a redemption story.
Sai Sudharsan
Among India’s brightest young batting talents, Sai Sudharsan’s rise has been methodical and consistent. The 22-year-old Tamil Nadu batter has already shown his class across different formats. Despite limited appearances in domestic red-ball cricket this season due to national white-ball commitments, he made the most of his opportunities, scoring 303 runs in just three games, including a commanding double century.
He has been really impressive in the IPL. Right now, he has the Orange Cap for the 2025 season with the Gujarat Titans, showing that he has a solid batting style and stays calm under pressure. The selectors already see him as a player for the future. He is part of the India A team for the tour in England. He is likely to join the team after finishing his IPL matches, just before the second multi-day game.
Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep's selection shows that people trust his skills beyond just limited-overs cricket. He is known for his sharp left-arm swing and staying calm under pressure. Since the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he was India's top wicket-taker, he has been a regular in T20 matches. He has also played a lot of ODIs since last year and helped India win the Champions Trophy in March.
In the 2025 IPL, he has helped the Punjab Kings do well with the ball, taking 16 wickets in 12 matches, which helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. But it’s not just his T20 performance that the selectors are impressed with. Arshdeep has also done well in red-ball cricket with India A, showing good skills on earlier tours abroad. In England, his bowling style and control could add variety to India's fast-bowling team.
Karun Nair
Few players understand the ups and downs of Test cricket like Karun Nair. In 2016, he became only the second Indian player after Virender Sehwag to score a triple century in Tests, hitting a brilliant 303 not out against England in Chennai. But just a few months later, he lost his place in the team, and by 2017, he was completely out of the squad. For eight years, Karun played domestic cricket, honed his skills, and waited for another chance.
That wait is now over. He has been called back to the team because of his impressive performance in domestic cricket last season, scoring 863 runs in the Ranji Trophy at an average of 53.93, including four centuries. He also performed brilliantly in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 779 runs and hitting five centuries. Besides, he has experience playing in England while with Northamptonshire, making him a valuable option in a young team.
India Test squad
Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (vice capt, wicket keeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicket keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh
Prakash Kumar Pandey