Shubman Gill Begins India Captaincy Era with Fluent Fifty; KL Rahul Continues Red-Hot Form in Warm-Up Match

KL Rahul continued his blistering form in England, notching up another half-century in India’s intra-squad four-day warm-up match at Beckenham on Friday. The match, which does not carry first-class status, serves as India’s final preparation before the five-match Test series against England, starting June 20 at Leeds.

After scoring 116 and 51 for India A against the England Lions in Northampton, Rahul added another polished fifty to his tally, reinforcing his readiness for red-ball cricket.

The intra-squad clash, held behind closed doors with no media or broadcaster access, saw updates trickling in only via BCCI’s social media handles. “Beckenham. A solid Opening Day in the Intra-Squad game! Half-centuries for KL Rahul & Captain Shubman Gill. Shardul Thakur amongst the wickets,” the BCCI posted after Day 1.

Gill Gains Confidence, Thakur Makes a Case

Newly-appointed Test captain Shubman Gill, who has struggled in English conditions with a modest average of 14.66 and a highest score of 28 across three previous Tests in England, also struck a confidence-boosting half-century.

All-rounder Shardul Thakur, competing with Nitish Kumar Reddy for the pace-bowling all-rounder slot, impressed with the ball. Thakur has already shown glimpses of form in the unofficial matches against England Lions, with scores of 27, 19, and 34, alongside two wickets.

A New Era in Indian Test Cricket

The upcoming England series marks the beginning of a new era for Indian Test cricket. With veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin having retired from the longest format, 24-year-old Shubman Gill leads a refreshed squad aiming to build a new legacy.

The five-Test series, running from June to August 2025, will be played across iconic venues:

• Headingley, Leeds

• Edgbaston, Birmingham

• Lord’s, London

• The Oval, London

• Old Trafford, Manchester

India’s Test Squad for England Series

Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.