3 Indian players who might not get chance in playing XI on England tour

India’s five-match Test series against England, starting June 20 at Headingley, begins a new period in Indian cricket. With stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin retiring from Tests, the attention will now be on a young team under Shubman Gill. Notably, it's India’s first Test tour of England without any of the trio since 2011, a series that ended in a 4-0 whitewash.

India haven’t won a Test series there since 2007 under Rahul Dravid, and batting in the swinging conditions has often been a challenge. Under Gautam Gambhir’s stewardship, this new-look Indian team will look to bring big achievements in the new World Test Championship cycle 2025-27.

Indian players who might not get a chance in Playing XI on England tour:

3. Abhimanyu Easwaran

Despite being a consistent performer in domestic cricket and captaining India A, Abhimanyu Easwaran might once again miss being part of India’s playing XI in the England Test series. The 29-year-old recently smashed an 80-run knock against England Lions, making it his seventh fifty for India A in FC cricket

The reason for Easwaran's sidelining is due to the current Indian team balance and limited slots in the top order. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is a confirmed specialist opener, and KL Rahul, after hammering a century and a fifty in the warm-ups, is almost certain to open alongside him. With that, the door to the opening slot closes for the Uttar Pradesh-born, who has typically played as an opener throughout his career. At No. 3, the competition is mainly between Karun Nair, who hit a double century in the first unofficial Test, and Sai Sudharsan. With captain Shubman Gill likely to bat at No. 4, the top order is more or less decided.