There has been a new change in Indian cricket, when the BCCI announced an 18 -member Indian team for the upcoming five -match Test series on Saturday 24 May. In this team, left -arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has been included in the Test team for the first time. The series between India and England will start from June 20 and will be the first phase of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27.
A major change in team selection is that experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami has not got a place in the team this time. Shami has not played Test cricket in the last 23 months. His last Test match was against Australia during the World Test Championship 2023. He returned to international cricket in January 2025 after staying away from cricket for about 14 months due to injury, but his performance in IPL 2025 was disappointing. He could not return to the Test team due to only six wickets in nine matches.
At the same time, young fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has attracted the attention of the selectors with his capacity. He has shown good talent in swinging a new ball in T20 and domestic cricket, which can prove to be very effective in England’s short bowling conditions. He has taken 66 wickets in 21 matches in first class cricket, which is an average of 30.37. Apart from this, in IPL 2025, Arshdeep has taken 16 wickets in 11 innings.
Arshadeep’s experience of playing county cricket in England will also be a plus point for him, as it helps to give an understanding and strategy of bowling under foreign circumstances. His experience can prove useful in the upcoming Test series.
Apart from this, Karun Nair in the team is also returning to Test cricket after seven years. Nair has shown great form in domestic cricket. He scored 863 runs in 16 matches, captaining Vidarbha team in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, with an average of 53.93. This includes four centuries and two half -centuries. His performance led to his return.
Abhimanyu Ishwaran has also got a place in the Test team due to his great performance in domestic cricket. Ishwaran has been in the team for some time due to his ability and he is also expected to contribute significantly in the upcoming England tour.
In this new era, India’s command is in the hands of Shubman Gill. Gill has recently been made the new Test captain of India after Rohit Sharma’s retirement. Under Gill’s captaincy, the team expects a strong and balanced performance with new youth. Along with him, wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant has been made the vice -captain, who is a younger but an experience -armed player and can prove to be a strong pillar for the team.
This five -match Test series is very important for India, as it is the initial stage of the World Test Championship. England’s domestic conditions can be challenging for Indian bowlers, so it is necessary for the team to perform well in both their bowling and batting. The foundation of the future of Indian cricket will be strengthened by getting the opportunity to young players in the new team.
