BCCI announces 20-member squad for ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand from June 18

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced a 20-member Indian squad for June's ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton. The same squad will then face hosts England in the subsequent five-match Test series in August-September.

The biggest additions in the squad are that of fast bowler Mohammed Shami and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who have been out of action from international cricket for a long time due to their respective injuries. All-rounder Hardik Pandya, opener Prithvi Shaw, seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and left-arm leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav are the major names that are missing from the squad.

Virat Kohli will continue to lead the Indian side for now with Ajinkya Rahane as his deputy. Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Arzan Nagwaswalla will be the standby players on the tour.

The WTC final will be played at the Rose Bowl in Southampton from June 18. Indian Test players might leave for England earlier than expected, maybe in the final week of May



amid travel restrictions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

India and New Zealand qualified for the WTC final after finishing as the top-two teams in the inaugural edition which started after the ICC World Cup in August 2019. India won 12 out of the 17 Tests they played during this time period while New Zealand registered 7 victories out of 11.

Team India will also play a series of 5 Tests against England in Nottingham, London, Leeds and Manchester between August 4 and September 14 after the WTC.

India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).

Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla.