India tour of England: Without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who will be India's best bet with bat?
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill
As India gear up for their five-Test tour of England beginning June 20 at Headingley, all eyes will be on the next generation of Indian batters. With stalwarts
Rohit Sharma
and
Virat Kohli
no longer in the Test setup, the spotlight shifts to
KL Rahul
,
Yashasvi Jaiswal
, and newly-appointed skipper Shubman Gill—each bearing different responsibilities and career arcs as they look to anchor India's top order in alien conditions.
KL Rahul: A legacy waiting for consistency
At 33, KL Rahul is the most experienced batter in the squad. With 955 runs from 13 Tests against England, including three centuries, Rahul's quality is undeniable—but so is his inconsistency.
His 149 at The Oval in 2018 remains iconic, crafted when India were tottering at 121/5. Yet, in the same series, Rahul aggregated only 152 runs in his remaining nine innings. The pattern repeated in the 2021 tour, where his majestic 129 at Lord's helped India to a famous win, only to be followed by single-digit scores thereafter.
Rahul averages 34.11 in English conditions and has often struggled to convert promising starts. With the experience of over a decade behind him, this series could define whether Rahul finally sheds his tag of "flashes of brilliance" and matures into India's dependable pillar in the middle order.
Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Yashasvi
Jaiswal
: Young blood, big dreams
In contrast stands 23-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has stormed into Test cricket with a blend of fearlessness and flair.
He enters this tour as India's highest scorer in the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the team's new senior opener.
Jaiswal's home Test average of 60.61 across 10 matches is stunning, but this tour will be his biggest challenge yet. His away average (44.18) is respectable, though the swinging Dukes ball, early movement, and long spells from England's seamers will ask questions he's never faced before.
With no Virat or Rohit to turn to for guidance, Jaiswal must lead India's charge from the top with composure and intent.
His hunger and recent form make him a key player to watch.
Shubman Gill: A captain with a point to prove
Shubman Gill takes on the toughest job in cricket which is leading India in a Test series in England, while still evolving as a player himself. His overall Test average at home is an impressive 42.03, but it drops significantly overseas (29.50), and his record in England is particularly underwhelming: just 88 runs in three matches at an average of 14.66.
Now, with captaincy adding weight to his already high expectations, the question isn't just about runs, it's about temperament. Gill will be judged not only on how he bats but how he leads a team missing its most iconic modern-day batters. Former teammate Cheteshwar Pujara has expressed faith in Gill's ability to rise to the occasion. For now, belief will have to carry him until the runs come.
Quiz:
Who's that IPL player?
A defining series for India's next batting order
India's tour of England in 2025 will be the first full Test series without either Kohli or Rohit since 2011. The burden of scoring and leadership is now shared between a veteran seeking consistency (Rahul), a young gun on the rise (Jaiswal), and a captain still forging his identity (Gill).
Their performances may well shape not only the outcome of this series, but also set the tone for India's fortunes in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
IND vs ENG: Looking back at India's Test series win in England in 2007
India's last Test series win against England came in 2007, under Rahul Dravid's captaincy. They had a team manager in past great Chandu Borde, but no coach. Dravid and the senior players around him - Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly - shepherded the others. Cricket was different then. No country had a T20 league of its own for starters, which meant a bit more breathing room in the calendar. That year, India's first Test against England began on July 19, but the squad was in the United Kingdom since a month before. In the current calendar, having one month playing competitive games in the country you're touring is a pipe dream. India began with a one-off ODI against Ireland, then played a three-match ODI series against South Africa, again in Ireland. There was to be a one-off ODI against Pakistan too, but that got rained out. They then had two warm-up matches, a four-day fixture against Sussex and a three-day one against England Lions. In that Lions side, all eleven players went on to represent England, and some had glittering careers. There was Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Adil Rashid and Stuart Broad among them. So the Indian team that played the three-Test series was properly tuned up. They could get used to playing in colder weather and all the adjustments it needed. They got used to an English summer day's rhythms, their body clocks had time to adjust thoroughly to not just being in a different time-zone, but playing and travelling in it. India hung on to draw the game by the skin of their teeth, finishing 282 for 9 in the fourth innings while chasing a target of 380. This was among MS Dhoni's less-remembered doughty Test knocks. None of Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman or Ganguly passed fifty, while Dhoni ended on 76 not out from 159 balls. India still needed a bit of a helping hand, with rain washing away the last session of the game. However, Dhoni played the leading hand in India surviving 96 overs in the fourth innings in difficult conditions. India were driven by Zaheer Khan's pace, hostility and fire. Zaheer was at the start of a four-year run where he would be quite irresistible across conditions, and he took nine wickets in the game. Zaheer's incisiveness was partly driven by England's gamesmanship. When he was batting, England's fielders kept putting jelly beans near the crease. It was a juvenile prank, meant to be a dig at Zaheer's supposed lack of fitness. Instead, it incensed him. It helped that Zaheer was in great physical condition too. He bowled with venom and remarkable control of swing and seam, to skittle England out, as India chased down a fourth-innings target of 73 with seven wickets in hand. A draw, but a memorable one, because of Anil Kumble. He was decent with the ball, but this time, it was Kumble's batting that won India the series. Kumble hit 110 not out from No.8, his only Test century. The landmark was welcomed by jubilant cheers from the Indian camp, with everyone sharing in the joy of one of their greatest warriors. It was also the only century scored by an Indian batter in the whole series. India made 664, and England were bowled out for 345. The pitch had no demons, so Dravid opted to bat again. Set a target of 500, England hung on, batting out 110 overs in the fourth innings. India dominated one drawn Test, while England dominated another. And India won the middle Test to be worthy series winners. This was a victory fashioned by a team full of senior, experienced players. We didn't know it then, but it was also to be Dravid's last time as captain, with the batter giving up the job after a two-year stint. It was fashioned without a coach. Nearly everything about the current Indian team is at the opposite end of the spectrum. There isn't a group of experienced senior players, the captain is leading for the first time, and they have a coach who has a big presence. However, what could work for them is what worked above all for the 2007 team: every player contributed with crucial runs or wickets at various times. When India needed someone to step up, they always found someone who would. In the end, the 2007 victory was truly a team effort. If the 2025 group can emulate that, then they can add a glorious chapter to India's history in England.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Ravichandran Ashwin faces huge accusation in ongoing TNPL season: 'Despite repeated warnings...'
Ravichandran Ashwin, who had recently represented Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, is currently representing defending champions Dindigul Dragons in the ongoing season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League. read more Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin has been accused of ball-tampering in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League. Madurai Panthers had recently submitted a written complaint to the TNPL accusing Ashwin and current title holders Dindigul Dragons of tampering with the ball on Saturday, 14 June, according to The Indian Express. TNPL demands proof from Madurai franchise over Ashwin accusation TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan, however, has since demanded proof from the Panthers to back their accusation against the iconic off-spinner, who had abruptly retired from international cricket during the tour of Australia in December, signing off with more than 700 international wickets to his name. And he even said that the Madurai franchise will face sanctions for leveling such an accusation against Ashwin if they fail to furnish proof. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'They have filed a complaint, which we have acknowledged. Though they have to lodge any complaints within 24 hours of the game, we have still accepted it and have asked them to furnish proof of their allegations,' Prasanna told the newspaper. 'We will be forming an independent committee if we find there is any truth to their allegations. Without sufficient evidence, it is wrong to put forth such allegations against a player and another franchise. If they don't provide any evidence, then Madurai will face due sanctions,' he added. In their complaint, the Panthers have alleged that Ashwin and his Dragons teammates used towels treated with chemicals to wipe the ball, which resulted in it getting heavier and producing a metallic sound upon contact with bat. 'A serious case of ball tampering occurred during our recent match against Dindigul Dragons. Despite repeated warnings, the Dindigul team blatantly tampered with the ball, using towels that appeared to have been treated with chemicals,' Madurai franchise COO S Mahesh had written in his complaint to the TNPL. What happened in the Dragons-Panthers game The match in question had taken place in Salem on Saturday, in which the Dragons cruised to a nine-wicket victory after chasing down the 151-run target set by the Panthers with nearly eight overs to spare. Ashwin had bowled four economical overs in which he conceded 27 runs and later opened the innings, scoring a 29-ball 49 and sharing a 124-run opening stand with Shivam Singh, who remained unbeaten on 86 and saw his team home. The ongoing TNPL is taking place at a time when several parts of the country, including the southern state of Tamil Nadu, witnesses the onset of the monsoon season. Players therefore are seen wiping the ball with towels provided by the league more often than not due to a wet outfield. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ashwin had recently been fined 30 per cent of his match fee for an on-field outburst over an umpiring decision earlier in the TNPL season. The said incident had taken place during Dragons' match against Tiruppur Tamizhans on 8 June in which the 38-year-old was adjudged LBW off R Sai Kishore's bowling despite the ball appearing to have pitched outside leg.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
England vs India: Joe Root Chasing India Great For Big Feat During Five-Match Test Series
As England prepare for their home Test match series against India, plenty of eyeballs will be on star batter Joe Root, for whom, scoring runs at a monstrous rate and converting them into record-breaking centuries has become a habit during the decade of the 2020s. During this mouth-watering five-match series starting from June 20, Root will continue his pursuit of two Indian greats. While Root will be chasing legendary Sachin Tendulkar's all-time run tally of 15,921 runs, he will also be aiming to surpass Rahul Dravid to have the highest-ever batting average among all players to have featured in this highly competitive series. Root's run tally stands at 13,006 runs in 153 Tests at an average of 50.80, with 36 centuries and 65 fifties and a best score of 262. He is England's top run-getter in Tests and overall fifth. Even a moderately-scoring series of 373 runs will take him past Australian legend Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs in 168 Tests at an average of 51.85 with 42 tons), making him the second-highest run-getter in Test cricket. Knowing Root's level of dominance against India, nothing is impossible for Root in the space of these five Tests and 10 innings. Against India in 30 Tests, he has made 2,846 runs at an average of 58.08, with 10 centuries and 11 fifties. His best score is 218. In home conditions against India, Root's batting average shoots up to 74.95. He has made 1,574 runs in 15 Tests and 25 innings, seven centuries, and five fifties. His best score is 180*. With batters having at least 1,500 runs in India-England matches, Root has the second-highest average of 58.55, next to Dravid, who has a stunning batting average of 60.93. A century or two could take Root over the Indian icon. Root ended the previous WTC cycle with 1,968 runs in 22 Tests and 40 innings, at an average of 54.66, with seven centuries and seven fifties, best individual score of 262. He would be raring to carry on with this momentum. He could become the first-ever batter to score 6,000 runs in WTC history. He is currently at the top of the charts with 5,543 runs in 64 matches at an average of 51.80, 18 centuries, and 21 fifties in 117 innings. The Test series will kickstart on June 20 at Leeds.
