India Squad For England Test Series Announcement LIVE Streaming: When And Where To Watch? (Source: Ap)
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will announce the India squad for the five-match Test series against England today. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from Test cricket, thus the selectors' task will not be easy, especially given the fact that the England tour will mark the beginning of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and a positive series outcome would be critical to India's quest of playing the WTC final.
The Big Three Delimmas For Selectors
The selectors will have to find answers to three tough questions that have popped up following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The biggest of them all is to find a suitable leader. Shubman Gill is the front runner to lead the side, but Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul are in the fray too.
Gill's brilliant captaincy in IPL 2025 tilts the pendulum in his favour, but Bumrah's experience could be handy on a tough tour to England. KL Rahul too can be preferred because of his sound mind and ability to stay calm under pressure. It'll be a tough call for the selectors, but recent developments suggest that Gill might be the one asked to lead on the tour.
The second big task for the selectors will be to solve the No.4 conundrum. Kohli's retirement has left a massive void, and whoever bats at the position will have big shoes to fill. Reportedly, Gill could be asked to bat at four, with Sai Sudharsan playing at three, and KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal opening the innings. If Gill wants to bat in the top order, Karun Nair could be tried at four.
Finally, Agarkar will have to take a call on Mohammed Shami, who is one of India's top pacers, but fitness remains a concern for him. The BCCI medical team feels the pacer can't bowl long spells in England which has put the selectors in a spot of bother. Ideally, Shami is among the first players the selectors would want on the England tour, but are they ready to take a risk with a quality, but unfit pacer for such a crucial series?
When And Where To Watch India Squad Announcement?
The India squad announcement could be watched live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 2 from 12:30 PM IST on May 24. The live streaming will be available on JioHotstar. It must be noted that Sony Sports Network is the broadcaster for the England tour, including the digital platform SonyLiv.
