Team India, led by Shubman Gill, will begin their England tour with the first Test starting on June 20 in Leeds. India is scheduled to play five Test matches on this tour. However, before the tour begins, there has been a major change in the Indian squad. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initially announced an 18-member squad for the series, but one more player has now been added for the first Test. This surprise inclusion is none other than fast bowler Harshit Rana. The BCCI announced this update through a press release on Tuesday.
In the official statement, the BCCI said, “The Men’s Selection Committee has added Harshit Rana to India’s squad for the first Test against England in Leeds. Rana, who was part of the India A team, has joined the senior squad as preparations begin for the opening match.”
Notably, the India A team recently played two matches against the England Lions, along with an intra-squad match. Harshit Rana featured in all three games.
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The original squad already included two fast-bowling all-rounders and five specialist pacers. With the addition of Harshit Rana, the total number of pace bowlers in the squad has now risen to eight.
India’s pace attack for the England tour now includes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh. Additionally, all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur provide further pace options.
India’s Updated Squad for the First Test vs England:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-captain & Wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.