Ajit Agarkar Speaks Out On Virat Kohli's Shock Test Retirement

Virat Kohli stunned fans by announcing his retirement from Test cricket on May 12 via social media.

Shubman Gill will take over as Test captain after Rohit Sharma's retirement.

Source : PTI

Following the conclusion of IPL 2025, Team India is set to tour England in June for a five-match Test series. Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 18-member squad on Saturday, confirming that Shubman Gill will take over as Test captain after Rohit Sharma's retirement. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been named vice-captain.

Ajit Agarkar on Virat Kohli's Test Retirement

Virat Kohli stunned fans by announcing his retirement from Test cricket on May 12 via social media. Addressing the matter, Ajit Agarkar revealed,

"Virat informed us in early April that he had decided to retire from Test cricket. He has been a pillar of Indian Test cricket, and replacing him won’t be easy."

He added, "This marks a significant shift. With both Rohit and Virat stepping away, the series against England will be a big challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity for Gill to prove himself as a leader.

India's Squad for the England Test Series: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akashdeep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

An 18-member Indian squad has been named for the upcoming five-match Test series against England. One of the major highlights is Karun Nair's return to the national side after a gap of eight years. Meanwhile, Sai Sudarshan, who impressed with his explosive batting in IPL 2025, has been rewarded with his first-ever Test call-up. The selectors have assembled a well-balanced and formidable squad capable of securing India's first-ever Test series win in England.

Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer have been left out - two big decisions that have sparked debate. In their place, a pace attack featuring young talent has been selected, with Jasprit Bumrah set to lead the bowling unit.