Top 5 Indian players who may not be part of India’s Test squad for England tour ft. Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill

After a disappointing performance in Australia losing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25the next big challenge for the indian team in the longest format of the game will be the tour to England in June where India are scheduled to play a 5-match Test series that will begin in Leeds and end at The Oval to win the coveted Pataudi Trophy.

A chance for India to get back to winning ways

The Indian team will be looking forward to the momentum and winning streak in Test cricket considering the fact that the team has not been able to win silverware in Test cricket in recent times. India will arrive in England on the back of a crushing defeat at home against New Zealand and a disappointing end to a decade of dominance as they lost the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Not only that, with consecutive losing streaks, the Indian team failed to reach the finals World Exam Championship which will be held in June of this year in the Lord. The Indian team instead gave way Australia continue to the finals and defend the test mace against South Africa. So much is at stake on the England tour as far as India’s future in Test cricket is concerned. Keeping in mind the need for significant changes in the squad, here are 5 players who should not be part of the Indian squad for the upcoming tour of England.

Also read: Top 5 Highest Total Scores in Tests Defeated Against Pakistan

5 players who should be left out of India’s Pataudi Trophy squad

1. Rohit Sharma

The Indian captain had a terrible season both with the bat and as captain. Not only has Rohit reached the peak of his prowess in Test cricket, but the 37-year-old can’t even keep up with the ever-changing dynamics of the game. Rohit’s consistency with the bat and his decisions as India’s skipper have been questioned. Rohit has had a disappointing season with the bat in Test cricket. Indian skipper Rohit played a total of 14 Test matches this season and scored 619 runs at a meager average of 24.76. A glimpse of the sorry state of affairs for Rohit with the bat is evident from the fact that the Hitman of Indian cricket scored his last Test century back in March this year against England in Dharamsala. So now the time has come for Rohit to focus on white-ball cricket and put aside the prospect of leading in Tests.

2. Virat Kohli

The only difference between Rohit’s situation and Kohli’s is that the former Indian captain showed some glimpses of promise with the bat during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But even he has lost the familiar touch he once had. Bowling was a nightmare for the 36-year-old. During the Australian tour, Kohli repeatedly fell into the trap of playing a stealthy game on outside balls and giving away his wicket in the process. Although his form has been on a steady decline, Kohli hit a career low in 2024 with just one century in 19 innings. Kohli needs to work on his net skills and play red cricket at the domestic level if he wants to continue playing Test cricket for India.

3. Ravindra Jadeja

The all-rounder may not be as big a disappointment as Rohit and Kohli, but it’s time for some serious introspection on his role in the team. Pitches in England generally favor seam movement, especially during the first few days of the match. Furthermore, the ball tends to swing all day at the English wickets unlike Australia. Jadeja can come in as a viable alternative for the team but English conditions require an alternative of extra pace to rest the main bowlers. India may opt to pick an extra pacer instead of Jadeja and opt for a more traditional bowler like a spinner Washington Sundar or Kuldeep Yadav and to have additional depth in the team as far as the bowling department is concerned. Additionally, Nitish Kumar Reddy he has proved his worth as an all-rounder in the Indian team and it is likely that the youngster can bat at No.6 as successfully as he did at No.7 in Australia.

4. Mohammed Siraj

To summarize Siraj’s Australian tour; the intensity is there, but the sharpness in bowling that he had is gone. Putting aside some promising moments like Australia’s first innings in the Sydney Test, Siraj has failed to wreak havoc in the batsmen’s hearts like he used to. Consistency is key in English conditions and Siraj’s lack of it could be a problem for the team if he is selected. Although Siraj took 26 wickets in the previous season, but the Indian pacer could not trouble the batsmen constantly. It can be seen from his performance in Australia. Although he took 4 wickets in Australia’s first innings at Adelaide, Siraj could never match the same score in the series in the next 3 Test matches. The 30-year-old needs to get back to his best and focus on performing in the final moments and could therefore be left out of the England squad if Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami regain your fitness by that time.

5. Shubman Gill

Excluding a young player from the team is never easy. However, Gill did not give any reason to the selectors as to why he was not allowed to tour England. Especially in overseas conditions, his form has been terrible for some time. Gill scored a total of 401 runs in the 2024-25 season at a batting average of 33.41, a huge drop from his record in the previous season where he scored 526 runs at an average of 43.83. So the youngster needs to re-work on the basics and develop a Test level temperament to become a consistent No. 3 for the team in Test cricket.

Also read: S. Badrinath questions Shubman Gill’s selection in Indian team; throws out angry remarks about his hitting problems