Rishabh Pant: The squad picked for the upcoming England Test tour has sent mixed signals regarding the criteria followed for the selection of the 18 players. In some cases, it appeared that the Indian Premier League (IPL), a 20-over tournament, served as the basis for selection. In others, performances in domestic multi-day tournaments were rightly rewarded. Yet, in some instances, ‘potential’—possibly due to a lack of stronger options—seemed to be the overriding factor. On record, however, Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the senior selection committee, maintained that the panel was focused on long-term planning.
Rishabh Pant, captain of IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants, has had a disappointing season individually (151 runs in 13 matches, with one remaining) and failed to guide his team into the playoffs. Yet Agarkar felt the time was ripe for his promotion to vice-captaincy, starting with the challenging England tour.
The Delhi batsman, who has already captained India in five T20 Internationals, was appointed Vice-Captain to Shubman Gill, India’s 37th Test Captain. While Pant’s selection as the first-choice wicketkeeper was a given, the decision to elevate him to Vice-Captain may have sparked some internal discussion, though Agarkar did not elaborate.
In contrast, Gill’s consistent form as captain of the Gujarat Giants in the IPL likely tilted the balance in his favour. With 649 runs at an average of 54.08 in 14 league matches—including six half-centuries—Gill has led his side into the playoffs. His elevation comes in the wake of the recent retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of India’s most experienced cricketers. Notably, Gill has played only three of his 32 Tests in England.
Interestingly, some of the senior-most players in the squad were not considered for captaincy. It was expected that Ravindra Jadeja (80 Tests; 12 in England) would not be in the race, but Agarkar added that 33-year-old KL Rahul (58 Tests; 9 in England), the second-most experienced player in the squad, was also not discussed. Jadeja’s leadership of Chennai Super Kings was forgettable, while Rahul has emerged as the highest scorer for Delhi Capitals this IPL season with 539 runs in 13 matches.
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Pant’s Test credentials
Pant has played nine of his 43 Tests in England. Aside from his audacious batting style, his performance during India’s last tour of England in 2021–22 may have been a factor in his promotion. In that five-Test series, he scored 349 runs in five matches—the second-highest for India after Rohit Sharma’s 368 in four.
Although he struggled during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Pant remains the kind of player who can win a match single-handedly, according to former India wicketkeeper Kiran More.
“It’s a good move by the selectors,” said More. “Rishabh being a wicketkeeper will benefit Gill big time. And Rishabh has got a good brain; he’s active behind the wickets. Had he been picked only as a wicketkeeper, I’d have been a little bit disappointed,” he told Patriot.
A solid record overseas
More also dismissed suggestions that Pant is out of form. “Every cricketer goes through a lull. People are harping on it, but he’s a quality player and has already won matches for India. Look at his away record—he has scored runs in England [556 in 9 Tests], Australia [879 in 12] and South Africa [186 in 3],” he said of the 27-year-old left-hander, who has played with distinction since making his Test debut in 2018.
“He has scored centuries in all three countries. How many Indian players have hundreds outside India? There’s something special about him, though his style is unconventional. He has guts, he’s daring, and he trusts his shots. He is a bindaas (carefree) player; he’ll come back very strongly.”
Agarkar echoed this confidence: “Pant is one of our better batters in the last couple of years. He will help Gill out with all the experience [he has]. At the moment, these two are the guys we feel will take the team forward.”
Pant, who has amassed 2,948 runs at an average of 42.11 in 43 Tests, also happens to be the only cricketer from Delhi selected for the squad—offering some consolation for the Delhi and District Cricket Association.
The return of Karun Nair
The other “beautiful story” in the squad is the return of middle-order batsman Karun Nair after several years in the wilderness. One of only two Indians to score a triple century in Tests—the other being Virender Sehwag—Nair’s last appearance in a Test came in March 2017 against Australia.
Despite his unbeaten 303 against England in Chennai in December 2016, Nair got to bat only four times in total before being dropped. After that he was carried with the team for some time, but never played. It appeared that he didn’t fit into the plans of then Captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri. Though named in the squad for the 2018 England tour, Nair was not picked for any of the five Tests. Even when a spot opened up for the final match, Hanuma Vihari—flown in late as Kuldeep Yadav’s replacement—was preferred.
Nair’s selection this time is therefore a true comeback story, especially if he makes it to the playing XI.
Consistency in domestic cricket
Despite those setbacks, Nair never gave up. He continued to score heavily in domestic cricket. In the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, he amassed 863 runs in nine matches at an average of 53.93, including four centuries and two half-centuries. He played a crucial role in Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy title win, having moved from Karnataka.
Nair was also the highest run-scorer in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he notched up 779 runs—including five centuries—at a staggering average of 389.50. Yet, he was overlooked for the Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, which India eventually won.
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Vidarbha coach on Nair
“I was very much confident of his selection in the national side because of his outstanding performances in white and red ball domestic season,” said Vidarbha coach Usman Ghani. “He has regained the spot in the Indian team with his mighty performance in the domestic circuit. It’s better to say, he compelled the selectors to pick him; his selection became automatic,” he told Patriot.
Ghani added, “Karun’s selection is a proud moment for people in Vidarbha. It’s something that young and budding cricketers can learn from—how grit, self-belief and systematic hard work can reap results.”
More believes Nair deserves a place in the starting XI. “Yeah, yeah…why not? He has the experience; scored a Test triple century; played and did very well in county cricket [for Northamptonshire in 2023 and 2024]; and helped Vidarbha win the Ranji Trophy. He has worked very hard, has persevered, and deserves this opportunity,” he said.
“Karun Nair is a beautiful story for the present generation who have not seen Mohinder Amarnath and Anshuman Gaekwad—guys who made big comebacks in Test cricket on the basis of hard work in domestic cricket,” he added.
With Pant’s flair and Nair’s grit, this contrasting yet formidable pair could pose a serious challenge to England’s bowlers in the Test series beginning June 20.
