Karun Nair OUT; Sai Sudharsan In: Ex-Opener Names Predicted India Playing XI For 1st Test Vs England

India are all set to begin their campaign in the World Test Championship 2025-27, when they travel to England to take the Three Lions on in a five-match Test Series. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring from the longest format, Shubman Gill was announced as the new Test captain, Gill's first assignment will be the first Test of the series that begins on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. Karun Nair has made a strong case to be named in the playing XI, after his double hundred against England Lions for India in the first unofficial Test. However, Aakash Chopra has not named him in his ideal playing XI for the Headingley Test.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that Yashasvi Jaiswal should open alongside KL Rahul, with Sai Sudharsan coming in at no.3, and captain Gill at no.4. He went ahead with two pace-bowling all-rounders in Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur. Overall, he picked five pacers including the above two, and just one spinner in Ravindra Jadeja.

"Shubman Gill is, of course, the captain. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as openers, Sai Sudharsan at No. 3, Shubman Gill at No. 4, and then Rishabh Pant. I am still playing Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 6 as a batter who can give you a few overs, but primarily as a batter," Chopra stated.

"Then Ravindra Jadeja, who is my all-rounder. Shardul Thakur is my all-rounder, but Shardul Thakur in English conditions, at the Leeds ground, is more of a bowler who can bat. I am considering him as a full bowling option. Then Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna," he added.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

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