India Announces Test Squad for England Series with Shubman Gill as Captain

The chairman of the Indian men's senior selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, revealed the much-anticipated squad for the five-match Test series against England on Saturday in Mumbai. He confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will not participate in all five Tests in England. Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new Test captain, with wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant serving as his deputy. Agarkar emphasized that the selection of a captain is not made for just one or two series, and long-term planning should be considered when making such decisions.

Regarding the decision to appoint Shubman Gill as captain, Agarkar stated that one does not choose a captain for just one or two tours. The aim is to invest in something that will help the team progress. He noted that they have observed some growth in Gill over the past two years. There is no doubt that playing a five-match series in England will be challenging, and they may need to learn a bit on the job, but they are very confident in their choice.

On the topic of Jasprit Bumrah, Agarkar mentioned that he does not believe Bumrah will be available for all five Tests, as informed by the physiotherapists and doctors. They will decide whether he can participate in three or four Tests. If he is available for that number, he could help secure some victories for the team, and they are pleased to have him as part of the squad. The selectors' decision comes after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements from Test cricket this month.

With the retirements of these two legends, the team is entering a phase of transition, which will be tested in England. The five-match series is set to commence on June 20 in Leeds. At 25 years old, Gill will become India's fifth-youngest Test captain, following in the footsteps of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (21), Sachin Tendulkar (23), Kapil Dev (24), and Ravi Shastri (25), who all led the national Test team at a younger age.