Sai Sudharsan-Karun Nair's England flight booked; other Indian players rewarded too

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to announce the squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England in the coming days. According to the latest reports, there will be no surprises in the selection, with Shubman Gill expected to be appointed as the captain of the red-ball team.

The 25-year-old batsman, who serves as vice-captain to Rohit Sharma in ODIs, is set to captain India in the upcoming Test series scheduled for June and July. The official squad and leadership announcement will be made on Saturday, May 24, when the national selection committee meets in Mumbai.

Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair to be Included in India’s Squad for England Tour

According to a recent report by Cricbuzz, Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair, who impressed with their performances in the recent domestic season, are in strong contention for a spot in India’s upcoming Test squad. They are on the radar of the selectors for the highly-anticipated Test series in England.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Karun is likely to be included in the squad following his impressive performances in domestic tournaments. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan, who was already named in the India A team for the second match against the England Lions, is expected to be promoted to the senior Test side as well.

Karun Nair Has Been in Stunning Form During the 2024–25 Domestic Season

Karun Nair has been in stunning form during the 2024–25 domestic season. The right-hander scored 863 runs in the Ranji Trophy at an average of 53.93, including four hundreds and two fifties. He has scored 8,211 runs from 114 first-class matches at an average of 49.16, with 23 centuries and 36 fifties.

With senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepping away from Test cricket, Nair is eyeing a return to India’s red-ball squad for the five-match series in England starting June 20. Nair, who has six Test appearances for India, is known for his unbeaten 303 against England in 2016.

He also impressed in the 2024–25 County Championship Division Two, scoring 487 runs for Northamptonshire in 11 innings, including a double century (202*) against Glamorgan.

India's Likely Squad, Including Sai Sudharsan for Upcoming England Tour

Sarfaraz Khan could be rewarded with a place, while Devdutt Padikkal remains sidelined due to injury. India’s pace attack is set to include Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana.

All-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will provide spin. Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy are likely to bolster the squad. Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel are expected to be the two wicketkeepers. Kuldeep Yadav may be picked as the specialist spinner.

The Squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Sai Sudharsan, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Shardul Thakur, and Kuldeep Yadav.

Also read: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni set aside! Abishek Porel names this Indian player his inspiration