Shubman Gill Begins India Captaincy with Stylish Knock, KL Rahul Continues Fine Form with Fifty in Intra-Squad Match

Ever since landing in England just over a week ago, KL Rahul has been in sensational touch with the bat. His impressive run continued as he followed up scores of 116 and 51 for India A against the England Lions with yet another solid knock—this time in the India vs India A intra-squad warm-up match at Beckenham, where he struck a fluent half-century.

This four-day match, which isn’t classified as first-class, was India’s final chance to simulate match conditions before the five-Test series against England kicks off next week. In a strategic move, the Indian team management kept the game behind closed doors, with no media or live coverage. Updates came only through BCCI’s social media handles after the day's play.

Alongside Rahul, newly-appointed Test captain Shubman Gill also impressed, scoring a composed half-century. For Gill, the innings was a timely boost—he’s struggled in England in the past, averaging just 14.66 with a top score of 28 in three previous Tests here. Friday’s knock will no doubt lift his confidence ahead of a defining series.

Another positive sign for India was all-rounder Shardul Thakur’s performance with the ball. Thakur, who is in a close contest with young Nitish Kumar Reddy for a place in the playing XI, picked up wickets and continued his solid all-round showing from the previous unofficial Tests against the England Lions, where he scored useful runs and took key wickets.

Speaking after the day's play, pacer Prasidh Krishna emphasized the importance of this game time. “It’s really important for all of us, especially those coming from the ‘A’ games, to get time in the middle. The pitch was good—hard and competitive. Bowlers bowled some great spells, and batsmen showed resilience. It’s always nice to compete against your own teammates and keep the environment fun and relaxed,” he said.

India’s first Test begins on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds, marking a new chapter under captain Shubman Gill. With the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Tests, and Ravichandran Ashwin stepping away from international cricket, a new-look Indian team is set to take the stage.

The five-match Test series runs from June to August 2025, with games scheduled at Leeds, Birmingham (Edgbaston), London (Lord’s and The Oval), and Manchester (Old Trafford).

India’s squad for the Test series:

* Shubman Gill (captain)

* Rishabh Pant (vice-captain)

* 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

* Akash Deep

* Arshdeep Singh

* Kuldeep Yadav