Rohit Sharma Likely To Skip England Test Series? Here’s What The Report Says

Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma is all set to pull out of the forthcoming Test series against England because of his persistent lack of form in red-ball cricket. In a report by India Today, insiders close to the development have revealed that Rohit has already decided. Meanwhile, former captain Virat Kohli will likely not be dropped from the team.

Rohit’s Recent Performance Raises Concerns

Rohit’s Test form has long been a cause for worry. In the recently concluded series against Australia, he mustered just 31 runs from three games and subsequently pulled himself out of the last Test in Sydney. With his failure to make any impact, his absence on the England tour does not come as a shock.

India’s Preparations for the England Tour

India‘s Test team will tour England for 45 days, starting with the first Test at Headingley on June 20. This series offers India a chance to win their first away series since 2007 in England.

Ahead of the tour, some major Indian players are likely to feature in the ‘A’ team, which will face the England Lions in two four-day games lined up in the May-June window.

England and Wales Cricket Board Confirms Schedule

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced information regarding India’s practice matches. “The first four-day match will be played at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury on May 30. The second match will start a week later on June 6 at the County Ground in Northampton,” the ECB informed.

Impact of IPL on Team Selection

With the knockout matches of the IPL to be held on May 20, 21, and 23, and the final on May 25, selectors have enough time to nail the India A team for the England tour. A decision is likely to be made during the knockout stages of the IPL.

Karun Nair in Consideration for Selection

Karun Nair has come out as a strong candidate for the Test team based on a remarkable 2024-25 domestic campaign. He led the run charts in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and was the fourth-highest scorer in the Ranji Trophy with 863 runs from nine games, averaging 54 with four centuries and two half-centuries. His top performances were key in Vidarbha’s success against Kerala in the Ranji Trophy final.

A person in the know about the developments, who spoke to PTI anonymously, said, “There is sufficient time to declare the squad, primarily before the knockouts or immediately after those games. You will then have a clear idea as to which players will be available by then.”