Ravi Shastri, a former Indian cricketer, has projected his starting XI for India’s first Test against England, which will begin on June 20 in Headingley, Leeds. This match will signal the beginning of India’s new campaign in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC).
Shubman Gill, India’s new captain, will lead an 18-member side in the five-match Test series. Shastri emphasised the necessity of a strong opening partnership and chose the left-right combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to start the game.
He emphasised KL Rahul as the most seasoned batter in the group, having played admirably during India’s previous tour to England. Shastri also named Sai Sudharsan as a top-order alternative, with skipper Gill at number four.
“It would be (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, and he would be accompanied by KL Rahul, as I believe this is an important tour for him. He is the most experienced of the batters. He opened the last time India toured England, scoring 100 runs and had a successful tour. So I’d like to see him open the innings. At three, I’ll accompany the child, Sai Sudarshan. Whatever I’ve seen of him, he’s impressive. “This tour will provide him with valuable exposure,” Shastri stated in the ICC Review.
The former Indian coach admitted that Karun Nair may play below Gill in the batting order, citing his considerable experience in county cricket. Nair’s strong efforts have earned him a long-awaited call-up to the national team. Shastri also picked Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper, placing him at No. 6 in the batting order for the Leeds Test.
“Depending on the present form, it will most likely be Karun Nair. He bats at five, and it’s been a long time since he played for India. Sixth will be (Rishabh) Pant. I believe he (Nair) has worked extremely hard. He has just worked his way back into the side. “The number of runs he’s scored in first-last cricket is incredible,” Shastri stated.
“I met him at an IPL game. I said, ‘Don’t just bang on the door. Just kick it down, make your way in, and walk to that side. And I believe he has done just that. Just the number of runs he’s had has prompted the selectors to look in that direction and offer him a spot,” he explained.
Shastri picks three seamers and Shardul Thakur over Nitish Kumar Reddy
Shastri mentioned that Ravindra Jadeja will bat at No. 7 as the frontline spinner, while the No. 8 spot is likely to be filled by Shardul Thakur. He also confirmed that pace bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah will be part of the playing XI. But, if the conditions are overcast, Arshdeep Singh may be included, otherwise Prasidh could take the final spot in the pace attack.
“I would go with three fast bowlers, (plus) Shardul Thakur. I know it’ll be a tough one between Shardul and Nitish Kumar Reddy, but you have to see who bowls how much. If Reddy is going to give you 12, 14 overs, then he might get the nod because of his batting,” Shastri said.
“And the three fast bowlers would be, I would go with Prasidh Krishna, I would go with Mohammed Siraj and of course Jasprit Bumrah. In Leeds, if it’s overcast, and it’s cloudy, there might be the temptation of going with the left-armer Arshdeep Singh as well. So it will be Prasidh Krishna or Arshdeep, but the other two will be Siraj and Bumrah,” he concluded.
Ravi Shastri’s predicted playing XI for the first Test:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
India
