Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan

India’s Test squad for the five-match series in England has seen a shift in direction, and while the focus is on fresh faces and a new captain in Shubman Gill, a few notable omissions have stirred debate.One of the most talked-about exclusions is Sarfaraz Khan. The middle-order batter made his long-awaited Test debut in the England home series (2024) and showed glimpses of his potential. With India transitioning after the retirement of stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, many expected Sarfaraz to be part of the next generation. His absence has left fans questioning whether he has fallen behind in the pecking order despite a promising start. Harshit Rana, who featured in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, has also been left out. The young pacer had impressed in domestic and IPL circuits, but the selectors have opted for Arshdeep Singh and Shardul Thakur in the seam-bowling mix instead.

Then there’s Shreyas Iyer, who continues to remain on the sidelines. Once considered a key player in India’s middle order, Iyer has now been out of the red-ball squad for a prolonged period. With India backing younger names like Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair for the England tour, his exclusion suggests a significant shift in long-term planning.

The squad reflects a clear intent to rebuild around youth and form. However, the omission of players like Sarfaraz and Harshit both seen as part of India’s red-ball future , makes this a bold and slightly surprising move by the selectors.India’s squad for the England Test series:Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain & Wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh.