Rohit Sharma might sit out the upcoming Test series against England because he hasn’t been doing well in red-ball cricket, as reported by India Today. Sources say the Indian team captain has already made up his mind. It seems Virat Kohli is likely to keep his spot in the squad. Rohit only managed to score 31 runs in three matches during the Test series against Australia and even decided to skip the final game in Sydney.
Meanwhile, some key players from the Indian team are expected to join the ‘A’ squad to play against the Lions in two four-day matches in May and June, getting ready for the Test series. India’s 45-day trip to England starts with the first Test at Headingley on June 20, aiming to win their first away series there since 2007.
The first four-day match will take place at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury starting May 30, followed by another match on June 6 in Northampton, as stated by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Right now, all the main Indian players are busy with their IPL teams since the league’s knockouts will happen on May 20, 21, and 23, with the final on May 25. This gives selectors some time to announce the India A squad before heading to England, and it looks like Karun Nair might be on that flight.
Karun has been performing really well in the 2024-25 domestic season, becoming the top scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the fourth highest in the Ranji Trophy with 863 runs from nine matches, averaging 54 with four hundreds and two fifties. His good form helped Vidarbha win their third Ranji title against Kerala. A source close to the situation mentioned there’s plenty of time to pick the squad, likely before or just after the IPL knockouts, which will give a better idea of who’s available.
