Struggling Rishabh Pant to face stern England Test in five-match showdown

With Team India aiming for a smooth transition, Rishabh Pant has been appointed as Shubman Gill’s deputy for the upcoming Test series against England.

India are set to take on England in a five-match Test series, beginning June 20.

Pant, who captained the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025, endured a disappointing season. Despite his dip in form, the left-hander has been included in the squad, owing to his previous performances in red-ball cricket.

During one of the IPL 2025 matches, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, while commentating, criticised Pant for playing a reckless shot. Over the years, Pant has built a reputation as a swashbuckling batsman across formats but has often failed to deliver in high-stakes situations.

As the England series approaches, Pant’s performance will be closely watched. If he fails to make an impact again, India’s bench strength offers solid alternatives capable of replacing even the most established names.

Dhruv Jurel, who has shown promising signs in the longest format, will start on the bench but has the potential to take up the wicketkeeping role. He has played four Test matches so far, scoring 202 runs, including a half-century. Additionally, KL Rahul, a veteran of 58 Tests, remains a strong contender for the gloves if needed.

In addition to his batting and wicketkeeping duties, Pant will also carry the responsibility of being the team’s vice-captain. With the vantage point behind the stumps, his ability to assist the captain with field placements and decision-making will also be put to the test.

So far, in 43 Test matches, Pant has scored 2,948 runs, including six centuries and 15 half-centuries.

Ind vs Eng Test series: Squads

India squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, 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, Harshit Rana.

England: Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain, Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

This article first appeared on Mid Day