Ever since the announcement of India’s squad for the five-match test series in England, the anticipation continues to build high. Recently, Shubman Gill was appointed India’s 37th test captain following the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the format.
Meanwhile, the former Indian captain and legendary spin bowler Anil Kumble has revealed his most preferred playing XI combination for the series opener at Leeds on June 20 (Friday).
However, Kumble’s bold selection ahead of the toughest tour highlights the squad blended with experienced and fresh talents. Also, it was shocking that the 54-year-old snubbed Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh from the possible playing XI, who could have bolstered the pace bowling attack.
Let’s take a look at Anil Kumble’s predicted playing XI to find out how the seasoned and youngsters fit into the top, middle, and lower order of the line-up.
Stable Opening Combination:
Anil Kumble’s opening combination of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal adds a mix of an experienced batter’s composure and a youngster’s aggression. The duo has earlier proved themselves as a formidable opening pair in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Australia.
Rahul’s ability to adapt according to different situations complemented with Jaiswal’s never-compromising aggression and recent form makes them the favorites to rip apart England’s bowling line-up.
No.3 Spot Uncertainty:
The third spot between Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan further increases the dilemma as any one of them can fit into the playing XI. Both the youngsters have exhibited a stellar performance in domestic cricket.
Kumble highlights the flexibility of these duo cricketers, suggesting the importance of proper selection to deliver an outstanding performance in challenging pitch conditions in England.
Captaincy and Middle Order:
Furthermore, Anil Kumble demoted Shubman Gill to the No.4 spot and prefers Rishabh Pant and Karun Nair to fill the middle-order positions. Shockingly, the experienced cricketer included Ravindra Jadeja, who is the only spinner in the playing XI.
Here’s what Kumble had to say about India’s middle order:
“Yes! Fourth is Shubman, Rishabh will be at fifth, and at sixth, I think Karun will be the best suitable batter ahead of Jurel. At seven, Jadeja will take on,” Kumble said.
While it is a challenge for Gill to alter his batting style at fourth position, Pant’s aggressive batting and Number 5 can make the middle order much more explosive. However, Nair’s selection at the No.6 spot was based on his revived performance in domestic cricket and a stunning triple hundred in the test for India.
Pace Heavy Bowling Attack:
Despite not preferring Arshdeep Singh, the pace bowling attack is still potent as Anil Kumble named Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, and Akash Deep.
Shardul’s ability to contribute with both bat and ball adds a new dimension to the squad. While Prasidh and Bumrah can challenge the English batters by generating huge pace and bounce. Here’s what Kumble explained about India’s bowling attack equipped with the majority of pacers:
“Certainly! From eighth to eleventh positions, bowlers will take on. The three seamers would be Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, and Akash Deep in that order,” Kumble said.
Why Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh were Snubbed from the Predicted Playing XI?
Although Anil Kumble didn’t reveal the exact reason, it is understood that Nitish Kumar Reddy was snubbed so that Shardul Thakur could find his place in the playing XI. Likewise, excluding Arshdeep Singh would open a spot for Akash Deep in the bowling line-up.
However, it is to be noted that Kumble sidelined the consistent performers like Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj, and Washington Sundar from his predicted playing XI list.
Anil Kumble’s Predicted Playing XI for India’s 1st Test vs England: Final List.
The following is the list of India’s playing XI against England for the first test at Leeds, predicted by Anil Kumble, and here is the sequence of the batting order:
| S.No | Player | Role | Batting / Bowling Style |
| 1. | KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper / Batsman | Right-handed |
| 2. | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Batsman | Left-handed |
| 3. | Sai Sudharsan | Batsman | Left-handed |
| Abhimanyu Eshwaran | Right-handed | ||
| 4. | Shubman Gill (Captain) | Batsman | Right-handed |
| 5. | Rishabh Pant | Wicketkeeper / Batsman | Left-handed |
| 6. | Karun Nair | Batsman | Right-handed |
| 7. | Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder | Left-handed batter and left-arm orthodox Spinner |
| 8. | Shardul Thakur | All-rounder | Right-handed batter and right-arm medium pacer |
| 9. | Prasidh Krishna | Bowler | Right-arm medium pacer |
| 10. | Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler | Right-arm pacer |
| 11. | Akash Deep | Bowler | Right-arm medium pacer |
Final Opinion
After looking at Anil Kumble’s predicted squad it is understood that the selection was based purely on the current form of the players.
With the retirement of the Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Team India, under a less experienced test captain, enters a new era filled with tough challenges.
Also, India begins the next cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 with a challenging England tour.
As India won their last series in England under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy back in 2007, it remains to be seen if Kumble’s predicted combination can give a tough fight to the hosts.
