India vs England Test Series: Team India Reaches Leeds Ahead Of Headingley Opener Under Shubman Gill
Team India has officially touched down in Leeds, setting the stage for a blockbuster five-match Test series against England beginning June 20 at Headingley. The arrival marks not just a logistical milestone but a symbolic one, as the Indian Test team embarks on a bold new journey under the stewardship of Shubman Gill, following the retirement of modern-day greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
by @AnkanKar , @BCCI pic.twitter.com/Lauzz21XVU — vipul kashyap (@kashyapvipul) June 17, 2025
Also Read: Happy Birthday Moeen Ali: Meet Wife Firoza Hossain, Bangladeshi-Born Fashion Designer Behind England Star's Success
Gill, who has now assumed full-time Test captaincy, was spotted alongside KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jasprit Bumrah at the Leeds train station after the squad made the journey from Beckenham — where they wrapped up their only warm-up match, an intra-squad face-off against India A.
Fresh Faces, New Hopes: Harshit Rana Joins Senior Squad
One of the key developments ahead of the Headingley Test is the inclusion of promising pacer Harshit Rana, who recently impressed with the India A side during their tour of England. The 22-year-old fast bowler stayed back in the UK post-tour and has now linked up with the senior squad. While the BCCI hasn't clarified whether his call-up is injury-driven or strategic, Rana's presence adds vital depth to a bowling arsenal already powered by Bumrah, Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
Rana's addition reinforces India's intent to unleash a fierce pace attack in seamer-friendly English conditions, an approach that paid dividends during their 2021 tour.
Generation Shift: Life After Kohli and Rohit
The upcoming series is as much about results as it is about transition. With the departures of Rohit and Kohli, Team India finds itself at a crossroads — blending youth with experience in search of sustained red-ball success.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Nitish Kumar Reddy headline a new generation of batters. Meanwhile, experienced names like KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rishabh Pant — who is also the vice-captain — are expected to play mentoring roles both on and off the field.
Eyes on the Prize: Gambhir to Rejoin Squad Ahead of Test
In another encouraging development, head coach Gautam Gambhir is expected to rejoin the Indian squad in Leeds before the first Test. The former opener had flown back to India on June 11 due to a medical emergency involving his mother, who suffered a heart attack. His return is a morale booster for a squad navigating multiple transitions in leadership and team dynamics.
Gambhir's tactical acumen and no-nonsense approach are expected to be pivotal, especially as India aims to make a statement in one of the most challenging away tours in Test cricket.
Final Preparations: Intra-Squad Match Offers Crucial Match Time
The only warm-up fixture — an intra-squad game between India and India A — proved invaluable for the coaching staff to assess player readiness and combinations. Conditions at Beckenham mirrored what India is likely to encounter in Leeds, giving batters and bowlers an early taste of seam movement and swing-friendly weather.
With the Headingley pitch known to offer pace and bounce, all eyes will be on how India balances their playing XI — particularly in choosing between spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar, and additional seamers.
Upcoming Fixtures: India vs England 2025 Test Series
1st Test: June 20 – Headingley, Leeds 2nd Test: July 2 – Edgbaston, Birmingham
Remaining fixtures and venues to follow.
Full India Squad for England Tour 2025
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
25 minutes ago
- First Post
'Cricket is poorer without Kohli and Rohit': England legend Joe Root drops first reaction on Ro-Ko's retirement
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma recently retired from Test cricket ahead of India vs England series. Joe Root has now paid an emotional tribute to Kohli and Rohit, calling them 'Indian legends.' read more Indian cricket entered a new era recently as two of its biggest legends, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, announced their retirement from the Test format. The announcement came just days before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Both players played key roles in red-ball cricket for India, especially Kohli. The former captain not only led India to their first-ever Test series win in Australia, but also helped qualify for the inaugural World Test Championship final. Rohit, on the other hand, captained India in their second consecutive WTC final against Australia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read: Root reacts to Ro-Ko's retirement However, both shocked the world with their sudden retirements before the start of the new WTC cycle for India. Reacting to the news, England batting legend Joe Root paid a heartfelt tribute to the two icons before the first Test match against India in Leeds. In an interview with Sony Sports Network, Root spoke from his heart. 'I've never been in competition with Virat. He is someone I've always admired and thought, 'Wow, what a player'. I'll miss those battles we had on the field, but it provides opportunities for other players to try and put their mark on Test cricket,' Root said about Kohli, as the duo were part of the famous 'Fab 4', including Steve Smith and Kane Williamson. More from First Cricket Root also spoke about how the absence of Kohli and Rohit will be felt across the cricketing world and not just in India. With Kohli and Rohit stepping aside from the longest format, all eyes will now be on how the new-look Indian team will perform under the captaincy of Shubman Gill. 'Cricket is poorer without them being around. They are two Indian legends. They've done amazing things for Indian cricket for such a long period of time. It'll be a slightly different look to the series, but we still expect it to be highly competitive,' he added. The last time India toured England, they managed to draw the series 2-2. India have not won a Test series in England since 2007.
NDTV
37 minutes ago
- NDTV
Ben Stokes' Epic Reaction On Not Having Virat Kohli In Rival Camp In Test Series: "Any Indian Shirt..."
England skipper and all-rounder Ben Stokes heaped praises on talismanic batter Virat Kohli, saying India will miss his "fighting spirit" when the two teams face-off in a five-match Test series, starting from June 20, adding that he will feel weird not seeing a number 18 jersey on the field. Team India is taking up the big challenge of a five-Test tour without players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom have announced their retirement from Test cricket just before the tour. The Indian team will be led by a new face, Shubman Gill, after the India stalwarts announced their retirement from Test cricket last month. In a video released by England Cricket on their Instagram, Stokes said, "I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn't he? It'll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone… of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time." Kohil ended his 14-year career worth 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. He hung up his spikes as the fourth-most successful Test captain overall, behind Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins). Stokes further revealed that he texted Kohli after the Indian ace announced to draw curtains to his illustrious red ball career. "I did text him, saying it's going to be a shame not to play against him because I love playing against Virat. We both love playing against each other because we have that same mindset when we are out in the field that it's a battle,' he said. 'He has been incredible and he deserves sort of I'm sure no doubt there's been a lot of praise for him over in India. There's definitely been praise from players over here and you know he's done really well against England so yeah, he has been a class player.' Stokes added. The England tour also signals the start of a new era for Indian cricket, under the new captain Gill. This five-match seroes also marks the beginning of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams. India will face England in the first Test of the five-match series at the Headingley Cricket Ground from June 20. The second Test will be played at Edgbaston from July 2 while the third Test will be held at the iconic Lord's beginning on July 10. Both India and England will later travel to Manchester for the fourth Test to be played at Old Trafford from July 23, before concluding the Test series at the Kennington Oval in London starting on July 31. India are aiming to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007.
NDTV
42 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Best Player I've Ever Seen": IPL Legend Jos Buttler Left In Complete Awe Of 14-Year-Old Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Vaibhav Suryavanshi burst onto the scene in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season at the age of 14, slamming the fastest century by an Indian in the history of the tournament. Suryavanshi amassed 252 runs in just seven innings, at a ridiculous strike rate of 206. Playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR), Suryavanshi smashed a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans (GT) in only his third match. England star Jos Buttler - who was GT's wicket-keeper on that day - gave his thoughts on Suryavanshi, comparing him to legends like Yuvraj Singh and Brian Lara. "The innings against us, 35-ball hundred, was just outrageous. Our (GT) bowling consists of Mohammed Siraj, brilliant international bowler, Prasidh Krishna, international bowler, Rashid Khan, best T20 bowler there is. And he (Suryavanshi) hit big sixes," Buttler said, speaking on the 'For The Love Of Cricket' podcast alongside Stuart Broad. "He played an innings against Chennai Super Kings a couple of matches later, I was watching on TV. CSK have seasoned pros like R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, but Suryavanshi went bang! And then he knocked one out to cover, like 'I'm so in control, I'll just take one now'. At that moment, I thought this guy is the best player I've ever seen. I was so blown away," Buttler said. Suryavanshi wowed one and all with his incredible IPL 2025 campaign. The left-hander smashed a six on the very first ball that he faced, clearing Shardul Thakur for a six over wide long-off. Suryavanshi's game developed as the tournament went on, and he ended up slamming another half-century before the season concluded. Buttler, who has emerged as a modern-day IPL great himself, spoke about Suryavanshi's fearlessness and what he thought of his first-ball six. "He actually hit his first ball for six in the IPL. He sort of gave himself a bit of room and smacked it over wide long off for a six. He had that fearlessness. There are so many brilliant players, they almost want to make a statement, as in 'look at me'," Buttler said. "We have to try and ask him how long before that happened did you think 'I'm going to try and hit my first ball for six'. Because it was a premeditated shot. Hhe looked for it," Buttler stated. "People have seen him with this amazing bat swing. Bit like, it's a huge statement, Yuvraj Singh or Brian Lara," Buttler added. Following the IPL, Suryavanshi is set to tour England as part of the India Under-19 squad, which will be led by 17-year-old Chennai Super Kings (CSK) sensation Ayush Mhatre. The two nations will face off in a five-match Youth One-Day series, followed by two Multi-Day Test matches. How Suryavanshi fares in England could provide an interesting subplot to the India-England Test series, starting from June 20.
