Surprise Candidates: Dark Horses who might feature in India’s squad for the England Tour 2025.
After several years, India will feel the lack of experience in their Test side following Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s red-ball retirement before the five-match Test series in England. It will also be the start of the fourth cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).
After they finished as the runners-up of the first two seasons, the Blue Brigade slipped on the third occasion. Interestingly, they were in contention for the final before the home series against New Zealand last year. However, two successive defeats at home and one in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 Down Under, put the curtains down.
Going into England, most players in the squad will be young and they don’t carry any baggage of expectation. That will allow them to be free with the mindset and process of the game. But it will be a different challenge against the moving ball under cloudy conditions.
The national selectors are due to announce the Test squad on Saturday (May 24) afternoon. Most of the players are expected to be among the India-A side, which will face the England Lions for two first-class encounters.
The likes of Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran will try their best to get into the national side with a few successful knocks. However, one can’t rule out any surprise selection into the side.
Here are the probable surprise candidates who could be part of India’s squad for the England tour.
Shreyas Iyer
Just a few weeks after rewarding Shreyas Iyer the national contract, the BCCI ignored him in the 20-member India-A squad. The Mumbai-born was in fine touch during the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 with 480 runs in seven innings at an average of 68.57.
England are playing an aggressive brand of cricket in the longest format. To counter them, it won’t be a bad idea to keep an experienced campaigner like Iyer, who used the same attacking method for last season’s Ranji Trophy. The 30-year-old had a strike rate of 90.22, thanks to two centuries.
Current form is always an important factor in selection. Meanwhile, Shreyas has ticked that box too. During the ongoing IPL 2025, he has smashed 435 runs in 12 innings at an average of 48.33. He has also celebrated four half-centuries, carrying a strike rate of 174.69.
It’s a long series, and it won’t be a bad call to get his experience into the squad.
Read More: Arshdeep Singh deserves Test call up ahead of England tour
Arshdeep Singh
Just 24 hours before the anticipated squad announcement, fresh reports have claimed that Mohammad Shami could miss the flight to England. According to ESPNcricinfo, the Bengal pacer has not built up the necessary workload for the five-day format.
It’s worth remembering that the veteran hasn’t featured in a Test match since the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023. Although he is fit to bowl for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the ongoing IPL, Shami needs to wait for his Test comeback.
His form for the Sunrisers has been terrible. Featuring in nine of the first 13 league games, the right-arm pacer has picked up only six wickets. His average of 56.16 and an economy rate of 11.23 are sending a strong message to the selectors.
In that case, they may opt for left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. The 26-year-old is also not in the India-A squad like Iyer but could make a last-minute inclusion. In 37 first-class innings, the Punjab pacer has collected 66 wickets at an average of 30.37.
He also has the experience of playing in England. During the County Championship 2023, he played five games for Kent in Division 1, picking 13 scalps at 41.76. Arshdeep has the skill to move the new ball and he can also bring the left-arm angle into the equation.
Read More: Most likely replacements for Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli in Tests
Last chance for Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane?
With not much experience left on the side, will the selectors go back to their veterans, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane? The former finished as the third leading run-getter of the Ranji Trophy 2023/24 with 829 runs at an average of 69.08.
Pujara also has the memory of playing in England. In that country, the Saurashtra batter has accumulated 870 Test runs in 32 innings at an average of 29, thanks to five fifties and one century. He will bring the calm and defensive nature in the side if they lose wickets in a cluster.
On the other hand, Ajinkya Rahane has a similar record of playing Tests in England. The former Indian captain has smashed 864 runs in 31 innings at an average of 28.80, with six half-centuries and one century.
It could be the out of box selection for the national side. Nevertheless, it will be an acid test even for the selection committee. The opening clash take place on June 20 at Leeds in Headingley.
Read More: Team India’s schedule in remainder of 2025
