Shubman Gill is embracing the challenge of England’s ever-changing weather as he prepares to lead India for the first time in a Test series, while senior batter KL Rahul is equally enthusiastic about playing in English conditions.
The five-Test series starting at Headingley on Friday marks a generational shift in Indian cricket, with Gill taking over as the new red-ball captain.
Veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R Ashwin are no longer part of the Test setup, having announced their retirements.
What are the three things you can think of..
..𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 🤔
Hear it from #TeamIndia 😎#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/uJ52OJvi9B
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 18, 2025
From the old guard, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul, Rishabh Pant, who is the vice-captain, remain, providing a blend of experience alongside the new leadership group.
In a video shared by the BCCI on ‘X’, several Indian players, including skipper Gill, shared what comes to mind when they think of playing in England.
“Dukes ball, that’s number one. The weather which is always changing, that’s exciting and tough. And just the atmosphere of the crowd,” Gill said.
Rahul added: “Playing Test cricket here excites me. The English summer here is different from what we get back home, it’s something that I enjoy playing cricket in. When the sun is out it’s great to play cricket. The third thing is the options for restaurants and food.” Spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar kept it simple: “Swing and seam, India winning a lot of games over here.” In-form batter Sai Sudharsan, who is likely to make his Test debut at Headingley on Friday, said: “Weather, hot chocolates, Dukes.” Set for a potential comeback after eight years, Karun Nair picked: “Character, Test and culture.” Pacer Prasidh Krishna remarked: “The Dukes ball, the weather, the coffee I would say. Just walk around the city and enjoy coffee.” Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal said: “Beautiful, Lord’s and Houses.” All-rounder Shardul Thakur noted: “One is greenery here, coffee, then of course weather.”
