Rishabh Pant Elevated to Vice-Captaincy Ahead of England Test Series

In a significant development for Indian cricket, Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the vice-captain of the Test team, supporting Shubman Gill, the new captain. As they gear up for the upcoming series against England, Pant has clarified Gill's batting position and discussed the potential candidates for the No. 3 slot. The first Test is set to begin on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds, promising an exciting clash between the teams.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 18, 2025, 19:48 IST

Rishabh Pant Takes on New Role in Test Team

Rishabh Pant, the wicket-keeper batter for Team India, has received a significant promotion as he has been appointed vice-captain of the Test squad. He will support Shubman Gill, who has stepped up as the new Test captain following the retirement of Rohit Sharma. Their first challenge together will be the upcoming series against England, set to begin shortly.

During a pre-match press conference held in Leeds on June 18, Pant clarified the uncertainty regarding Shubman Gill's batting position in the Test format. He confirmed that Gill will bat at No. 4, a position previously held by Virat Kohli for a significant part of his career. Pant also stated his intention to continue batting at No. 5.

However, a key question remains regarding who will occupy the No. 3 batting slot in the Test lineup. The leading contenders for this position appear to be Karun Nair, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and B Sai Sudharsan, all of whom have been performing exceptionally well and are seen as potential long-term options for the team following the exits of senior players like Rohit and Kohli.

The first Test match is scheduled to kick off on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. This exciting five-day contest will see Indian bowlers face off against English batsmen. England has already announced their Playing XI, featuring Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes as a key pacer.

Confirmed Indian Squad for the First Test Against England

The Indian squad for the opening Test includes Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, B Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj.