After a disappointing performance in Australia to lose Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25The next big threat for the Indian team in the longest format of the game will be the away tour England in June where India have to play five Test matches starting in Leeds and ending at The Oval to win the coveted title. Pataudi Trophy.
A chance to get back on the winning ways in India
The Indian team is hoping to get a lead and win in Test cricket considering that the team has failed to win in Test cricket recently. India arrive in England after 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 their consecutive losses, the Indian team failed to reach the finals World Test Championship which will happen in June this year on the Lord. The Indian team instead offered a chance Australia going last and defending Test mace against South Africa. So much is at stake in the trip to England in terms of India's future in Cricket. Considering the need for major changes in the squad, here are 5 players who should not be in the Indian squad for the trip to England.
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5 players to be dropped from India's Pataudi Trophy squad
1. Rohit Sharma
The Indian skipper had a terrible season with the bat and as captain. Rohit has not only reached the pinnacle of cricket, but the 37-year-old is no longer able to cope with the changes in the game. Rohit's consistency with the bat and his decisions as India's captain have both come under serious question marks. Rohit had a disappointing season with the bat in Test cricket. Indian batsman Rohit has played 14 Test matches this season and has scored 619 runs at a low average of 24.76. Seeing how miserable things are for Rohit from the bat it is clear that the Hitman of Indian Cricket scored his last Test in March this year against. England in Dharamsala. So, it's time for Rohit to focus on white ball cricket and keep the hope of leading the Tests alive.
2. Virat Kohli
The only difference between Rohit and Kohli's status is that the former India skipper showed little promise with the bat during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025. But, even he has lost the touch he once had. Pace bowling has been a tough one for the 36-year-old. During the Australian tour, Kohli repeatedly fell into the trap of playing cover on off-stump balls and giving away his wicket. Although his form has been on the decline, Kohli had his career low in 2024 with just one hundred in 19 innings. Kohli needs to hone his skills in the nets and play red-ball 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 offensive as Rohit and Kohli, but it is time to take a deep look at his role in the team. Sports in England are often prone to seam movement, especially in the early days of the game. Furthermore, the ball tends to swing throughout the day on English wickets unlike Australia. Jadeja can come in as an alternative to change the team but the way England need an extra option to rest the big players. India may decide to opt for an extra option instead of Jadeja and go for a traditional spinner like Washington Sundar or Kuldeep Yadav and have more depth in the team as far as the bowling department is concerned. In addition, Nitish Kumar Reddy he has proven to be a valuable asset in the Indian team and it seems that the youngster can hit No.6 as much as he did at No.7 in Australia.
4. Muhammad Siraj
Brief description of Siraj's visit to Australia; the strength is there, but the sharpness of the ball that he had is not there anymore. Putting highlights like Australia's first innings in the Sydney Test aside, Siraj has failed to break the batsmen's hearts like before. Consistency is the key for England and Siraj's absence 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 regularly. This is reflected in his performance in Australia. Despite taking 4 wickets in Australia's first innings in Adelaide, Siraj could not hit much in the next three-match series. The 30-year-old needs to get back to what he is doing and focus on getting things done at the right time then he could be left out of the England squad if Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami regain their strength at that time.
5. Shubman Gill
The release of youth in the team is not easy. However, Gill has failed to give any reason to the selectors not to drop him from the England tour. Especially in foreign countries, its appearance has been dangerous for a long time. Gill has scored 401 runs in the 2024-25 season at a batting average of 33.41, a huge drop from his record in the previous season when he scored 526 at an average of 43.83. So the youngster needs to get back to basics and improve his Test level condition to become the permanent number 3 of the Test cricket team.