India has appointed 25-year-old top-order batsman Shubman Gill as the new Test captain, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday. Gill takes over from Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from Test cricket along with Virat Kohli, marking the beginning of a new era for the national side.
Gill will lead the team in a five-match Test series in England starting June 20, which also kicks off India’s 2025–27 World Test Championship campaign. Rishabh Pant has been named vice-captain, while key pacer Mohammed Shami was left out of the squad due to injury.
“This is a big job and a big transition,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar, noting that Gill’s consistent performances in the IPL and Tests made him the unanimous choice. “He’s a terrific player, and we’re confident he can lead the team forward.”
India’s 18-member squad features returning players like Karun Nair and Mohammed Siraj, as well as debutant Sai Sudharsan, currently the top scorer in IPL 2025. Veteran Jasprit Bumrah is included but will have a managed workload due to past injury concerns.
The five-match series will be held at Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval, concluding on August 4.
India Test Squad vs England:
Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (wk), 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.
