Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri has predicted his playing XI for India’s first Test against England, scheduled to begin on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. This match will mark the start of India’s new campaign in the 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
India will be led by a new captain, Shubman Gill, who will head an 18-member squad for the five-match Test series. Shastri emphasized the importance of a solid opening partnership and backed the left-right combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to open the innings.
He highlighted KL Rahul being the most experienced batter in the squad and had performed well during India’s previous tour of England. Shastri also mentioned Sai Sudharsan as an option for the top order, followed by skipper Gill at No. 4.
“It would be (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, and with him will be KL Rahul, because I think this is a big tour for him. He’s the most experienced of the batters. He opened last time when India toured England, got a hundred, (and) had a good tour. So I would hope for him to open the innings. At three, I’ll go with the youngster, Sai Sudarshan. Whatever I’ve seen of him, he’s very impressive. This tour will be a good exposure for him,” Shastri said in the ICC Review.
The former Indian coach admitted that Karun Nair could slot in below Gill in the batting order, while pointing out his valuable experience in county cricket. Nair’s consistent performances have earned him a long-awaited recall to the national side. Shastri further named Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper, placing him at No. 6 in the batting order for the Leeds Test.
“In all probability, depending on what current form is, it’ll be Karun Nair. He bats at five, it’s a long time since he played for India. Six will be (Rishabh) Pant. I think he (Nair) has worked really hard. He’s just worked his way back into the side. The number of runs he’s got in first-last cricket is incredible,” Shastri said.
“And I met him during an IPL game. I said, ‘Don’t just bang the door. Just kick it down and make your way in and walk into that side’. And I think he’s done just that. Just the number of runs that he’s got has made the selectors look in that direction and give him a place,” he added.
Shastri picks three seamers and Shardul Thakur over Nitish Kumar Reddy
Shastri mentioned that Ravindra Jadeja will bat at No. 7 as the frontline spinner, while the No. 8 spot is likely to be filled by Shardul Thakur. He also confirmed that pace bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah will be part of the playing XI. But, if the conditions are overcast, Arshdeep Singh may be included, otherwise Prasidh could take the final spot in the pace attack.
“I would go with three fast bowlers, (plus) Shardul Thakur. I know it’ll be a tough one between Shardul and Nitish Kumar Reddy, but you have to see who bowls how much. If Reddy is going to give you 12, 14 overs, then he might get the nod because of his batting,” Shastri said.
“And the three fast bowlers would be, I would go with Prasidh Krishna, I would go with Mohammed Siraj and of course Jasprit Bumrah. In Leeds, if it’s overcast, and it’s cloudy, there might be the temptation of going with the left-armer Arshdeep Singh as well. So it will be Prasidh Krishna or Arshdeep, but the other two will be Siraj and Bumrah,” he concluded.
Ravi Shastri’s predicted playing XI for the first Test:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
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