Shubman Gill began his Test captaincy journey on a promising note as he scored a solid half-century on Day 1 of the India vs India A intra-squad match at Beckenham, England. The four-day fixture served as the final warm-up for Team India ahead of their five-match Test series against England, starting June 20 in Leeds.
KL Rahul Continues Dream Run
KL Rahul, who has been in brilliant touch since his return to red-ball cricket, continued his form with another composed fifty. This comes after his impressive knocks of 116 and 51 in the previous unofficial Test against England Lions at Northampton. His performance is a major boost to India’s middle-order ahead of the Test series.
Shardul Thakur Among Wickets
All-rounder Shardul Thakur, vying for a spot in the playing XI alongside youngster Nitish Kumar Reddy, made his case stronger by picking up crucial wickets. Thakur also had decent outings with the bat in the earlier warm-up games and remains a strong contender for the pace-bowling all-rounder slot.
BCCI on X (formerly Twitter):
“Beckenham. A solid Opening Day in the Intra-Squad game! Half-centuries for KL Rahul & Captain Shubman Gill. Shardul Thakur amongst the wickets.”
Gill Gains Confidence on English Soil
Shubman Gill’s form in England had been underwhelming, averaging just 14.66 across six innings with a highest of 28. His half-century in this intra-squad match will boost his morale as he takes on the responsibility of leading a new-look Indian team in the absence of retired greats Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
India’s Upcoming Test Series: The New Era Begins
India’s tour of England marks the dawn of a new leadership era. The Test series, running from June to August 2025, includes matches at:
- Headingley, Leeds
- Edgbaston, Birmingham
- Lord’s & The Oval, London
- Old Trafford, Manchester
🧢 India’s Test Squad vs England 2025:
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Rishabh Pant (vc)
- KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran
- Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel
- Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep
- Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
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