India tour of England 2025: A look at the five key Indian players other than Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who could be pivotal for the visitors, with the list featuring Jasprit Bumrah
The India tour of England 2025 will be an important series for the Indian Cricket team. The men in blue will play five test matches in England starting from June 20, 2025. Rohit Sharma’s men suffered a heavy 3-1 series loss against Australia in their last overseas test tour.
The England series presents a perfect opportunity for them to bounce back and leave the disappointment of the loss down under behind them.
Here, we will be doing a brief preview of the five key players for the Indian Cricket team (except Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) who could make a difference for the visitors on English soil during the upcoming test series.
1. Jasprit Bumrah
India lost their last overseas test series against Australia by a fine margin, but Jasprit Bumrah did show why he is a world-class bowler. The hostile pacer picked up 32 wickets in the 5 test match series. If he had gotten more support from the rest of the Indian bowlers and the top-order batsmen, the series might have headed in a different direction.
When India tours England this summer, Bumrah will be one of Rohit Sharma’s trump cards to gain advantage over the English batting lineup. English batsmen have also had their fair share of struggles against the 31-year-old pacer during the last couple of test series between the two sides. The added advantage of the conditions in England suiting his bowling makes him a very important player for the Indian team.
2. Mohammed Shami
Unfortunately, Mohammed Shami missed the Australian tour due to injury concerns and was in a state of recovery during the maturity of the test series. However, now the experienced pacer is ready to make a stellar comeback in the international test matches. After a productive ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and consistent playing eleven participations for SRH in the IPL 2025, Shami could prove to be one of the best performers in the India tour of England 2025.
Going by his ability to move the ball in the air on occasion and more so off the pitch by hitting that immaculate seam position, he would fancy himself to be amongst the wickets in the highly anticipated series. His form could significantly influence India’s performance in the upcoming test series against England.
3. Mohammed Siraj
One can’t overlook the fact that Mohammed Siraj has been a pivotal bowler for the Indian Cricket Team in their last couple of tours to England. The pacer’s ability to take the ball away from the left-handers at a brisk pace has proved to be an Achilles heel for the England Cricket team in the past tours.
What further makes him a crucial player for India is his fighting spirit and the ability to pick wickets at regular intervals. If Siraj strikes his prime form in the first couple of games early in the 5-match test series, England could be in for a feisty contest. A full-flowing Mohammed Siraj grants India a magnificent option to pair up with other senior bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Shami.
4. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Decent performances in the Australia series make Yashasvi Jaiswal a solid candidate to be part of India’s playing 11 in England. The young left-hander has aggressive qualities in his batting that may well come in handy in certain circumstances for the Indian team during a long tour of 5 test matches.
There may be certain questions on the position of Shubhman Gill in the lineup related to the opening slot if India decides to go with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The young left-hander is more suited to start off the innings rather than being slotted anywhere else. On the other side, Gill has proved in recent times that he can slot in at number three as well when required, pushing Virat Kohli to that number four slot and making the top order look a little more secure.
5. KL Rahul
If there was one batsman who showed tactical poise in India’s tour of Australia 2024-2025, it was KL Rahul. Among the Indian batsmen in the 5-test match series, he looked like one of the most assured batters out there. Due to his decent contributions at the top of the order, the team management didn’t tweak the batting order even when Rohit Sharma returned in the playing 11 during the later part of the series. Moreover, Rahul has played well in England during the last two to three tours.
Rahul could be in the playing 11 or involved in such discussions, particularly considering the team management’s faith in him lately. Not to forget that he is a good sleep catcher as well, apart from the additional wicket-keeping option that he offers to go with his batting.
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