Predicted India Playing 11 for England Tests

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in the presence of the head of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, selected the 16-member squad for the upcoming five-match red-ball series against England. They also declared Shubman Gill as the new Test leader for the national side.

The pressure will be on the young core for the acid test, especially in the absence of two veterans, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. They also missed the ticket for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 final at Lord’s, after two successive series defeats against Australia away and New Zealand at home.

The Blue Brigade will feature in a couple of games for the A-side before facing the senior men in the warm-up fixture. Most players hope to contribute with both bat and ball to get into the playing eleven for the opening Headingley Test from June 20.

Here is the predicted India playing 11 for the England Tests

Openers- Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul

Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the batting during the first couple of Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, in the absence of Rohit Sharma. That could push the selectors to continue with the same combination.

In the previous year, Rahul smashed 493 Test runs in 16 innings to an average of 57.52, shouldering four half-centuries at the best score of 86 runs in Perth.

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Jaisal, the young Indian opening batter, has done pretty well in the longest format in a short time. The southpaw has clubbed 1798 runs in 36 innings at an average of 52.88, thanks to four half-centuries and 10 centuries at the best score of unbeaten 214 runs.

Middle order- Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy

After his strong performance in the IPL 2025 with over 650 runs, Sai Sudharsan gets into the Test squad and is expected to bat at number three for India. The 23-year-old has accumulated 1957 runs in 49 innings at an average of nearly 40.

Shubman has yet to crack the Test code with 1893 runs in 59 innings at an average of 35.06, with the help of seven fifties and five centuries. He will now need to shoulder a lot of responsibilities.

Karun Nair, who went through a fantastic Ranji Trophy 2024-25 with 863 runs in 16 innings with four centuries and two fifties, has made his Test comeback into the national side after eight years. Rishabh Pant’s contribution will be crucial for the team to get the aggressive runs.

Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Reddy are two all-rounders of the squad. Jadeja is the lone spinner who can hold one end of the bowling, while Reddy’s bowling will be vital to help the three premier pacers of the side.

Reddy has also displayed his skill of adding the 40s during India’s recent trip to Australia. He also celebrated a fine century in MCG, which would increase the two-time WTC runners-up’s batting depth.

Bowlers- Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

Undoubtedly, Jasprit Bumrah will be the leader of the pace attack. He has the skill of swinging the ball with pace and could trouble the batter with his smart planning. The Ahmedabad-born also carries the experience of playing in England.

For India, Mohammad Siraj will be another essential member in the playing eleven. He is the workhorse of the side, who can bowl long spells, giving Bumrah the chance to return for short and sharp spells.

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Arshdeep Singh, who played for Kent in the County Championship 2023, can use the experience of the conditions. He will bring the left-arm angle to challenge both the inside and outside edges of the blade. In case of giving the pacers a break, Prasidh Krishna can be a fine replacement.

India’s Predicted Playing XI For England Tests

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.