Bumrah Captain; No Shreyas Iyer: Strongest India Test Playing XI After Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Retirements
Photo : AP
Indian cricket received two jolts in the last couple of weeks with the announcements of the retirements of two stalwarts of the game- Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket. This is set to cause a massive tectonic shift in Indian cricket, and as Ravichandran Ashwin pointed out on his YouTube channel, marks the actual beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era in the longest format of the game for India. Hence, India would need to create an entirely different playing XI for the WTC 2025-27 cycle starting with the England tour on June 20.
Batters
Rohit Sharma's retirement from Test cricket means that India will need a new opener to bat alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Sai Sudharsan might be given a chance, and given his temperament and technique, he could be a perfect fit at the top of the order. Shubman Gill will come at his usual position at no.3. In Virat Kohli's spot at no.4, there can be none better than KL Rahul, who will provide both the stability and experience required.
Rishabh Pant will be the designated wicketkeeper-batter, with Dhruv Jurel coming in at no.6. Jurel has proven handy in the lower order whenever required.
All-Rounders
Ravindra Jadeja might be playing his last WTC cycle, and he will be the leading spin-bowling all-rounder in the team. Nitish Kumar Reddy's inclusion might only be in conditions that are conducive to pace, like England, Australia, South Africa etc. On more spin friendly tracks, India might opt for Washington Sundar to add the extra spin-bowling option.
Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack, and is the ideal choice to captain the side after Rohit Sharma, given his performance as the leader in England and Australia. Mohammed Shami is the favourite to partner Bumrah in the pace department, as he aims to make a triumphant return to Test Cricket from injury. It is high time that Kuldeep Yadav e given more game time in Tests, especially with Ravichandran Ashwin announcing his retirement.
India Strongest Test Playing XI After Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Retires:
Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy/Wasington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammed Shami
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from IPL 2025,IPL Orange Cap, IPL Purple Cap, Most Sixes in IPL, Cricket, Sports and around the world.
