If He Can’t Keep Up To The Standards…: Ajit Agarkar Breaks Silence On Virat Kohlis Test Retirement-OxBig News Network

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday introduced an 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match Test sequence to be performed in England from June 20.

The squad shall be led by 25-year outdated Shubman Gill, who was appointed India’s new Test captain by the choice panel headed by Ajit Agarkar at a gathering in Mumbai on Saturday. Rishabh Pant was named Shubman’s deputy.

B Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh have been picked in India’s Test squad for the primary time. On the opposite hand, Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur have made comebacks for the five-match sequence in England.

Notably, it is a new look Indian facet that may characteristic in England after the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin from Test cricket. 

Ajit Agarkar Opens Up On Virat Kohli’s Retirement

While saying the squad, Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar opened up on the void left by the Test  retirement of premier cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Test cricket forward of the upcoming tour of England.

Notably, Rohit introduced his retirement from Test cricket on May 7, whereas his long-time teammate Kohli adopted swimsuit on May 12.

“When guys like that retire, it is at all times going to be huge holes to fill. Even Ashwin retired just a few months again. All these guys are stalwarts of Indian cricket. It’s at all times troublesome. One means to take a look at it’s that it is a chance for another person. Obviously, I’ve had conversations with each of them during the last couple of months,” mentioned Agarkar in the course of the press convention.

Agarkar additionally revealed that Kohli had reached out to him final month and mentioned he desires to finish his Test profession. 

“Virat clearly reached out in early April and mentioned he desires to complete. We’ve seen him wish to give 200 % each ball that performs… even when he is not batting and within the subject. He had given every thing that he had and if he can’t preserve as much as the requirements that he’s set for himself through the years and the way good he has been, possibly it was time for him,” he mentioned. 

The IND vs ENG Test sequence will start on June twentieth in Leeds earlier than the motion strikes to Birmingham for the second Test. The Lord’s Cricket Ground will host the third Test, starting on July 10, 2025. Old Trafford and Kennington Oval will host the fourth and fifth Tests of the sequence respectively.

India’s Test Squad For England Tour: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav