India’s cricket team is all set to begin a new chapter as they take on England in a five-match Test series starting June 20 at Headingley Stadium in Leeds. This will be a big moment for Shubman Gill, who is taking over as India’s new Test captain after Rohit Sharma’s retirement.
This series marks a fresh start for Indian cricket, and all eyes are on Gill, who will be leading the team for the first time in Tests. India last won a Test series in England in 2007, under Rahul Dravid’s leadership. Before that, the team won in 1971 (Ajit Wadekar) and 1986 (Kapil Dev).
Even though Shubman Gill has played only three Tests in England and scored just 88 runs, cricket legend Kapil Dev has full faith in him. He said, “Achha aur talented baccha hai (He’s a good and talented boy). I’m sure he’ll come back with the trophy.”
Kapil Dev shared his thoughts during an event celebrating his famous unbeaten 175-run knock during the 1983 World Cup match against Zimbabwe.
Some big names like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin have recently retired from Test cricket. However, experienced players like Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and vice-captain Rishabh Pant are still part of the team, helping balance the mix of youth and experience.
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Several young and new players will be playing Test cricket in England for the first time. These include Sai Sudharsan, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep.
Kapil Dev urged people not to call this team “inexperienced.” He said, “They may be new today, but they’ll gain experience with time. I believe this team can do something special. I just want them to go out, enjoy themselves, and play their best.”
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Talking about fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, Kapil Dev praised him and said, “He’s one of the best bowlers in the world. He knows what to do. But for me, the team always comes first.”
