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BCCI to announce India’s Test squad for the England series around May 20; Virat Kohli reportedly informs BCCI of his decision to retire from Test cricket ahead of the tour.

New Delhi: India’s upcoming five-Test series against England will be without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Sharma, at age 38, has retired from Test cricket, and reports indicate Kohli has also decided to forgo participation in the series.

With Rohit Sharma’s recent Test cricket retirement, India’s selectors must appoint a new captain for the upcoming series against England. Shubman Gill is reportedly the frontrunner for the position.

A planned meeting between Gill and the Indian cricket coach in New Delhi was delayed by the postponement of the 2025 IPL. While some support KL Rahul for the captaincy, the team for the England series is expected to be named around May 16th or 17th.

India’s cricket team head coach, Gautam Gambhir, will depart for England on June 6th to commence preparations for the upcoming Test series. This trip precedes the official team announcement.

Shubman Gill captaincy
Shubman Gill, a frontrunner to captain India’s Test team, lacks experience at the helm in Test or ODI matches. His leadership experience is limited to five T20 Internationals captained in Zimbabwe in 2024, a tour where many regular players were unavailable. Despite this limited experience, his performance has apparently impressed selectors and the BCCI. In 32 Test matches, Gill has amassed 1893 runs at an average of 35.05, including five centuries and seven half-centuries.

India’s upcoming five-match Test series against England, beginning June 20th, marks their return to red-ball cricket following a disappointing performance in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. While the retirement buzz of Virat Kohli left many fans disheartened. Caribbean legend Brian Lara shared an Instagram post where he wrote, ‘ Test cricket needs Virat Kohli’.