Indian pacer
Harshit Rana has been officially added to the India squad for the first Test against England, starting June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. The 23-year-old Delhi-born bowler, who has played two Tests, five ODIs, and one T20I for India, joins as fresh pace cover for the five-match series.
Rana had been part of the India A squad and played the first unofficial Test against England Lions at Canterbury. The BCCI confirmed his addition as cover, with the bowler arriving in Leeds alongside the team.
This series marks a new chapter for India, who will be without veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both having retired from Test cricket last month. The squad, led by Shubman Gill, includes a mix of experienced players like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj, and promising talents such as Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar.
All-rounder Shardul Thakur expressed confidence in the squad's potential, recalling his positive experiences from the last England tour where he took eight wickets and scored two half-centuries. He highlighted the challenges posed by English weather and conditions, emphasizing adaptability.
"I think it's very exciting to play in this part of the world where you face different challenges," Thakur said.
India aims to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007. This five-match series also serves as India's first assignment in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
The series opener, contested for the newly-named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, promises competitive cricket as India seeks to assert dominance despite missing key players.
Meanwhile, head coach Gautam Gambhir is expected to rejoin the squad soon after a brief family emergency.
India's squad for the Leeds Test includes Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Harshit Rana.
Indian pacer Harshit Rana has been added to the India squad for the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds, starting June 20. The 23-year-old, who has played two Tests for India, joins as fresh pace cover for the five-match series amid the absence of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
