The Indian men’s cricket team will travel to England for a five-match Test series after the IPL. For India, this series holds importance as it effectively begins the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. Rohit Sharma and team missed out on a chance to compete for the WTC finals after losing to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year with a disappointing 1-3 outcome.
While the selection committee prepares to select players, according to The Indian Express, Jasprit Bumrah probably won’t be made vice-captain for the England series. He was Rohit’s deputy during the Tests against Australia and, in fact, led India in a couple of matches as well. Bumrah was kept out for some time due to a back injury but recently returned to action under IPL. To manage his workload, they probably won’t have him play all five Tests against England anyway, so they seem to be eyeing a vice-captain who can be there for all the matches.
A BCCI insider commented, “We want someone who will play in all five Tests. It’s better for the captain and vice-captain to stay consistent through the Tests.” The management is also talking about bringing a new face into the position, with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul being also discussed as potential contenders.
The Test series against England will begin on June 20 at Leeds. Meanwhile, the WTC Final will happen from June 11 at Lord’s between Australia and South Africa.