Shubman Gill Is Ready for the England Challenge, Feels Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan

England Test captain Ben Stokes has underlined that India remain a serious threat in the upcoming five-match Test series, despite the absence of senior stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Speaking ahead of the series opener at Headingley, Stokes emphasised that the Indian side still boasts enough talent to pose a strong challenge.

This will be India’s first Test series under the leadership of Shubman Gill, who takes over captaincy duties following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format. Rishabh Pant will also be serving as vice-captain. The new leadership duo will have the task of guiding a relatively younger squad in a high-stakes away series.

"A lot is being said about who’s not playing—about the likes of Rohit, Virat, or Ashwin—that doesn’t mean we think it’s going to be any easier than it ever is against India. The whole world knows how much talent there is in that cricketing powerhouse. Just because those guys aren't playing doesn’t mean whoever comes in to replace them will be any less challenging to bowl at or bat against, just because of how big the talent pool is in India," Stokes said.