India Test squad for England; new Test captain picked; announcement to be done on..

The suspense around the India National Cricket Team's next Test captain is set to end on Saturday (May 24). The Ajit Agarkar-led Indian selection committee will announce the new Test captain in a press conference on Saturday ahead of the upcoming England tour.

Given the premier Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah's injury concerns, Shubman Gill has emerged as the frontrunner to take over the Test reins for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.

India’s new Test captain and squad for England tour to be announced on May 24

According to Sports Tak, Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir will hold a press conference on May 24 around 12 PM to announce the new Test captain and squad for the high-stakes five-match Test series against England.

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Indian cricket team will kick off their England tour with a four-day warm-up match from June 13 at Kent County Cricket Ground, Beckenham, as preparations for the much-anticipated Test series.

With the India A squad already announced for the England tour, all eyes now shift to the senior side. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is now gearing up for its most high-stakes decisions yet, and those are picking the new Test captain and player to fill the massive void left at No. 4 following Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement from the longest format of the game.

Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul join Shubman Gill in race for India's next Test captain

Despite not having a good overseas record, Shubman Gill has emerged as the frontrunner for captaincy after Jasprit Bumrah’s injury concerns raised many eyebrows on the selection table. Even in England, Gill has a modest Test record, scoring only 88 runs in three matches at a poor average of 14.66.

Now, Rishabh Pant has also entered the race to become India’s next Test captain. According to Sky Sports, Indian selectors have held informal talks with both Pant and Gill. Actually, there were doubts over Gill’s consistency in Tests that have opened the door for Pant for the captaincy.

KL Rahul’s name is also making rounds among the cricket legends. Rahul has a 2-1 record as India’s Test captain. He first led the side in a 2021-22 Test against South Africa, which India lost. However, he guided India to a 2-0 series win in Bangladesh in December 2022. And most importantly, Rahul is a Test regular, and that’s something he can go on.

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Rishabh Pant likely to retain his place in India's Test team as wicketkeeper

Well, Rishabh Pant is expected to retain his place as the main wicketkeeper for the upcoming five-match Test series against England despite his overwhelming form in the ongoing IPL 2025. There is a race between Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel, who have both been picked for the India A tour of England, for the backup wicketkeeper for the high-voltage Test series.

Jurel has been part of India’s Test schemes regularly, and he was even part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, but Kishan is making a return to the national fold after a long time. Their chances will depend on how they perform in the upcoming first-class games against the England Lions. They will play two four-day games against the England Lions.

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