BCCI has announced team India’s18 member squad for the first 2 Test matches of the home series against England, starting 5 February.
Leading the team will be Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane returns as the vice-captain. Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma have been called in to join the boys in the long format of the game. A new entrant to the Indian team is left-arm spinner Axar Patel who is called upon to strengthen the spin department.
Making the bowling unit stronger, the fast bowling attack is back with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur who were part of India’s historic series win against Australia. Shahbaz Nadeem has replaced Ravindra Jadeja as the all-rounder, who is currently resting post-surgery for a left finger injury.
Going against Joe Root’s English team, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant to show their spellbound performances once again with the bat. Many players have been added in the stand-by list too, till then here’s the Indian team who will go up head-to-head with England:
TEAM – Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya (VC), KL Rahul, Hardik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 19, 2021
The Committee also picked five net bowlers and five players as standbys.
Net Bowlers: Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, Krishnappa Gowtham, Saurabh Kumar
Standby players: K S Bharat, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Rahul Chahar, Priyank Panchal#INDvENG
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 19, 2021
