Shardul Thakur’s Test career officially over as Gautam Gambhir shows no faith

Shardul Thakur is reportedly not part of India’s scheme of things in Test cricket, as the BCCI and national selectors are set to form a new setup for the entire new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, starting with the upcoming England tour.

As reported by the Times of India, Indian selectors have moved on from Shardul Thakur, which means the Mumbai star will not be recalled to the Test side for the upcoming England tour. He last played a Test for India against South Africa in Centurion in December 2023.

No place for Shardul Thakur in India’s new Test plans

It is being said that Shardul Thakur will not get a chance to sport whites for India again, as the national selectors are ready to form a team of young guns for the future. Presently, Nitish Kumar Reddy, as a seam-bowling all-rounder, is the favorite to be groomed for the format.

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Unlikely to play a Test for India again.

— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) May 10, 2025

Shardul Thakur has represented India in 11 Tests since making his debut against the West Indies in Hyderabad back in October 2014. The fast-bowling all-rounder has taken 31 wickets in 19 innings at an average of 28.38 and an economy rate of 3.64 with one four-wicket haul and one five-wicket haul.

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The right-handed batter also scored 331 runs in 18 innings with the highest score of 67 in 18 Test innings at an average of 19.47 and a strike rate of 63.40. Shardul Thakur has four fifties to his name in Test cricket. He also has 298 wickets and 2492 runs in 92 first-class matches to his name.

Nitish Kumar Reddy set for England tour

Meanwhile, England won’t offer spin-friendly pitches to India, but the team could still benefit from the batting depth of their spin all-rounders in the upcoming five-match Test series, starting on June 20. Ravindra Jadeja is a guaranteed pick thanks to his all-round skills, while Axar Patel and Washington Sundar might earn a place for their improving batting.

Axar Patel has shown solid growth with the bat. For the seam-bowling all-rounder role, Nitish Kumar Reddy is currently the only contender. Reddy is set to retain his place in the Test squad for the England tour, which is likely to be picked next week.

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With Rohit Sharma retiring from Tests and Virat Kohli likely to follow, the Indian cricket team is entering a new era. This puts pressure on chief selector Ajit Agarkar and new head coach Gautam Gambhir to rebuild the squad with the next World Test Championship cycle in mind.

Shubman Gill is likely to be named India's new Test captain

The England tour is just around the corner, and while Shubman Gill looks set to lead the batting lineup, many other roles still need to be settled for India to regain its dominance in Test cricket. Sai Sudharsan is leading the race to replace Rohit Sharma at the top order.

If Kohli announces his retirement, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, and Shreyas Iyer could come into the Test scene. However, the BCCI is still waiting for Kohli’s final decision, as they requested him to reconsider his decision to call time on his Test career.