Shubman Gill Poised to Lead Indian Test Team After Rohit Sharma's Retirement

Rohit Sharma's recent retirement from Test cricket has paved the way for Shubman Gill to potentially take over as captain of the Indian Test team. With a remarkable career behind him, Rohit leaves a significant legacy, and Gill, along with Rishabh Pant as vice-captain, is poised to lead the team into the next ICC World Test Championship cycle. The India A squad for the upcoming tour to England has also been announced, featuring notable players like Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran as captain. Discover more about the future of Indian cricket in this article.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 24, 2025, 02:01 IST

Rohit Sharma's Retirement Opens Door for New Leadership

By Vipul Kashyap

New Delhi [India] - Following the announcement of Rohit Sharma's retirement from Test cricket, sources indicate that Shubman Gill is set to take over as captain of the Indian Test team.

Rohit made his retirement public on May 7, concluding a remarkable 11-year career that included 67 Test matches. His retirement comes just ahead of India's tour to England, marking the beginning of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle starting June 20.

During his Test career, Rohit scored a total of 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, which included 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries. His highest score of 212 was achieved in a memorable home series against South Africa in 2019, making him the 16th highest run-scorer for India in Test history.

With Rohit stepping down, Shubman Gill emerges as the leading candidate to captain the Indian Test side, while wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is expected to serve as his vice-captain.

Although Jasprit Bumrah was also considered for the captaincy, his ongoing injury issues have reduced his chances. KL Rahul's age, at 33, is viewed as a disadvantage for a long-term leadership role.

The India A squad for the upcoming England tour was announced on May 16, featuring several prominent players, including Karun Nair, who has been recognized for his outstanding domestic season.

India A will engage in two first-class matches against the England Lions in Canterbury and Northampton on May 30 and June 6, respectively, before wrapping up with an intra-squad match against Team India on June 13 at Beckenham.

Abhimanyu Easwaran, a seasoned player with 101 first-class matches and an impressive record of 7,674 runs at an average of 48.87, will lead the India A team. Despite a disappointing performance in Australia last year, where he managed only 36 runs in four innings, he remains a key figure in domestic cricket.

India A squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey.