As Team India gear up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting on Friday, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experience.
Newly appointed skipper Shubman Gill had a short but impactful stint with Glamorgan in 2022. In just three matches and four innings, Gill scored 244 runs at an impressive average of 61.00. His hit a century and a half-century each, with the best score being 119.
Young Sai Sudharsan, who is expected to make his debut in the series opener at Leeds, has featured for Surrey over the past two seasons, showcasing his adaptability in unfamiliar conditions. In five matches and eight innings, Sudharsan accumulated 281 runs at an average of 35.12. He registered a century and a fifty with the highest score being 105.
Karun Nair, who has made a return to India's Test squad after a 8-year hiatus, enjoyed a prolific run with Northamptonshire. Across 10 matches and 14 innings, he scored 736 runs at an incredible average of 56.61. His tally includes two centuries and four fifties, with a top score of 202 not out.
All-rounder Washington Sundar had a brief but successful stint with Lancashire in 2022. With the ball, he picked up eight wickets in two matches at an average of 24.75, including best figures of 5/76. With the bat, Sundar registered scores of 2, 34, 6, and 10.
Arshdeep Singh, known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, represented Kent in the 2023 county season. He claimed 13 wickets in five matches with the best figures of 3/58 while averaging 41.76.
With valuable county experience under their belt, these young stars are expected to play a pivotal role for India in the high-profile five-match series.
India, ranked fourth in Tests, will be looking to fill the void left by former skippers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who bid adieu to the traditional format last month.
Besides, the visitors will also the miss the services of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India's squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain and Wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K L Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.
England's Playing XI for the 1st Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (Captain), Jamie Smith (Wicketkeepr), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.