Watch: Shubman Gill-led Team India arrive in Leeds for Headingley Test vs England-OxBig News Network

The Indian Test team, led by newly-appointed captain Shubman Gill, arrived in Leeds via train from Beckenham on June 17, ahead of the first Test against England at Headingley. The five-match series begins on June 20 and marks a fresh chapter for India’s red-ball side under new leadership.

Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah were amongst the players seen arriving at Leeds station as the squad began final preparations for what promises to be a hard-fought series. The Headingley Test will be the first major challenge for this revamped Indian side, which is stepping into a new era following the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The absence of the experienced duo marks a significant generational shift, placing added responsibility on the shoulders of Gill and other young leaders.

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In a late inclusion to the squad, fast bowler Harshit Rana, who was part of the India A team that recently played two matches against the England Lions. He remained in England after the tour and has now linked up with the senior squad. While the BCCI has not officially confirmed whether his addition is as an injury replacement or simply to bolster the fast-bowling unit, his presence adds further depth to an already promising pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah.

Before their arrival in Leeds, India played their only warm-up fixture — an intra-squad game against India A — at Beckenham. The match served as a crucial opportunity for players to acclimatise to English conditions and gain valuable match practice ahead of the Test series.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir, who had returned to India following a medical emergency involving his mother, is also expected to rejoin the squad in Leeds ahead of the series opener. Gambhir had flown back home on June 11 after his mother suffered a heart attack but is now set to reunite with the team as they gear up for the Headingley Test.

With a fresh leadership core, a mix of youth and experience, and a high-stakes series ahead, India will be looking to make a strong statement as they kick off their tour of England.

India will play England in their series opener in Headingley, which starts from June 20, and will then travel to Birmingham for the Edgbaston Test, which starts from July 2.

India squad for England Test series

India’s squad for England tour: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk) (vice-captain), 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, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav.