'Go to England with nothing...': Sanjay Manjrekar labels India's 18-member Test squad for England tour as 'Strange Team'

Former cricketer and renowned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar found India's Test squad selection for the five-match series against England to be 'strange', acknowledging that the team is currently in a transitional phase. Former India's batter feels that it will take patience to see the 'returns on investments' from this new Team India.

Strange team selection overall. But India go to England with nothing to lose: Sanjay Manjrekar

The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee emphasised this transition by excluding several senior players. The 25-year-old Shubman Gill replaced skipper Rohit Sharma to become India's 37th Test captain. This decision placed Gill ahead of more experienced players like Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul. Moreover, pace maestro Mohammed Shami was dropped, and 23-year-old Sai Sudharsan stepped in for the recently retired Virat Kohli.

“Strange team selection overall. But India go to England with nothing to lose. It’s a team in transition so we can only wish it the very best & yes, be patient when it comes to returns on investment. 👍 #indianteam," Manjrekar wrote on X.

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With veteran players Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin having recently retired from the format, the selectors have made a decisive move to overhaul the team. Shubman Gill has been named captain, with Rishabh Pant stepping in as his deputy.

"When guys like Rohit, Kohli and Ashwin retire, it always leaves big holes. But this is also a big opportunity for the next generation," Agarkar said at the press conference while announcing India's Test squad.

Karun Nair has rejoined the national squad, nearly eight years after his last Test match in 2017. His recall follows an impressive Ranji Trophy campaign for Vidarbha. Abhimanyu Easwaran also earned a spot due to his consistent performance in domestic cricket. As far as bowling front is concerned, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have retained their places in the squad, but Mohammed Shami was left out due to fitness concerns. The spin attack will rely on Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav. Meanwhile, Harshit Rana and Sarfaraz Khan, who were part of India's recent tour of Australia, have been dropped.

India's Test squad for England tour:

Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk/vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.