Massive setback for India ahead of England Tests, captain Shubman Gill set to miss THIS crucial match

India's newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill might face some challenges on his England tour. He’s set to miss the second India A match against the England Lions at Northampton, which kicks off on June 6. Gill, along with Sai Sudharsan was expected to join the India A squad starting from this game. However, he will be busy leading the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025 as they have made it to the playoffs. With the IPL final lined up for June 3, the BCCI prefers not to rush Gill into a warm-up match before he takes on the captaincy.

The board had initially included Gill in the second India A vs England Lions unofficial Test to help him adjust to the English conditions ahead of the Test series. But now, the Indian team management has opted to give him some rest instead of wearing him out before the tough series ahead. According to a report from the Indian Express, head coach Gautam Gambhir made the call to rest Gill after a demanding IPL season.

"India's new Test captain Shubman Gill is likely to miss the second warm-up game at Northampton, which will be played on June 6. Gill is currently leading Gujarat Titans for IPL which has qualified for the qualifiers. The final is scheduled on June 3, and if his team qualifies, it could be a scramble to reach England in two days' time. So the team management has decided to give him some rest before the 46-day tour starts," the report said.

On a brighter note, Gill will have the chance to participate in an intra-squad warm-up game starting June 13 to gear up for the Test series, which kicks off on June 20 in Leeds. The second Test will take place at Edgbaston from July 2 to 6, followed by the third and fourth Tests at Lord's (July 10-14) and Old Trafford (July 23-27). The series will wrap up with the fifth Test at the Oval from July 31 to August 4.

This marks India's first bilateral series since both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket earlier this month.

With Kohli stepping away from the longest format of the game, some fresh talent and established players like Sai Sudarshan and Karun Nair have been brought into the middle-order.

On the bowling side, right-arm seamer Jasprit Bumrah will be at the helm on English soil. Joining him are fellow fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Shardul Thakur, rounding out the squad.

India squad for England series: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akashdeep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

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