Chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed on Friday that Virat Kohli had made his decision to retire from Test cricket well before the official announcement. Speaking after the squad announcement for the England Test tour, Agarkar said, “Virat reached out in early April and said he had made up his mind.”
Kohli’s decision has marked the end of a golden era in Indian cricket, as Rohit Sharma, too, has stepped aside from Test duties. In their absence, the selectors have ushered in a new generation, with Shubman Gill appointed as captain and Rishabh Pant named his deputy.
The team features a mix of youth and experience. Notably, Sai Sudharsan has earned a spot, backed by strong performances in the IPL and County Cricket with Surrey. With Kohli’s departure, the number four position is up for grabs, and Gill could take that responsibility alongside leadership.
Ajit Agarkar acknowledged the challenges of filling the void left by Kohli and Rohit but emphasized it’s “an opportunity for others to step up.”
India will look to bounce back from their recent overseas Test defeats and rebuild their red-ball dominance.
India Men’s Test Squad vs England
Shubman Gill (C), 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, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
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