India’s New Test Captain to Be Announced on May 24: Gill and Pant in Final Race

India is likely to announce its new Test captain and the team for the England tour on Saturday, May 24, according to India Today. The final decision is expected to be made during a selection meeting on the same day, and a press conference may follow to share the updates officially.

The announcements are expected to be made around 12 pm, according to sources. India has been searching for a new Test captain ever since Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket earlier in May. Since then, several names have come up as possible replacements, including Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant. However, reports suggest that Bumrah has taken himself out of the running, which means Gill and Pant are now the main contenders for the role.

BCCI Yet to Decide Between Gill and Pant for Test Captaincy

The Indian fast bowler is not expected to play all five Test matches in England, as the team wants to carefully manage his workload after he recently came back from a long injury break. As of May 20, the BCCI had not yet made a final decision on who would take over as captain after Rohit. They’ve had informal conversations with both Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

According to a report by Sky Sports, one of the selectors wasn’t fully convinced about making Shubman Gill the captain just yet, as he hasn’t secured a regular place in the Test team. They felt that giving him the role of vice-captain for now would be a better and more suitable step for the 25-year-old.

India A's England Tour: A Chance for Future Test Stars

India’s new World Test Championship journey will begin with the England tour, marking the start of a fresh chapter. With experienced players like R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket, a few places in the playing XI are now up for grabs. It’s the beginning of a new era for the team, with opportunities for young players to step up.

The competition for the spots are expected to heat up as the India A squad will be starting the England tour, containing some of the possible candidates. The likes of Karun Nair, Ishan Kishan and others will be making a strong case during the two matches against the England Lions at Canterbury and Northampton before facing the senior India men's team in the final fixture.

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