IND vs ENG: Gautam Gambhir's Big KL Rahul Call Might Go Long Way In Deciding The Future Of Shubman Gill And Co.'s Future In WTC 2027

India tour of England: After the culmination of IPL 2025, the focus of the cricketing world shifts to the purest format of the game, Test cricket. Shubman Gill and Co. travel to England for a five-match Test series in the month of June. The Indian team is currently in a phase of transition, and a series against Ben Stokes' England makes things a bit more difficult. Skipper Shubman Gill and Head Coach Gautam Gambhir will have a herculean task ahead of them to start the new cycle of the World Test Championship on a dominant note.

Tough Call Awaits Indian Head Coach Gautam Gambhir

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced India's squad for the England Test tour. The team has a lot of youngsters, and they need to start proving themselves, considering that the IND vs ENG Test series comes at a crucial juncture for Team India in the World Test Championship 2027.

Sai Sudharsan has been named in India's Test squad after phenomenal performances in the domestic circuit and also in the ongoing Indian Premier League. The opener's slot is going to be one big headache for Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill. With Sai Sudharsan and KL Rahul, the leadership will have to take a key decision on Yashasvi Jaiswal's opening partner. KL Rahul as an opener was nothing short of stellar in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. He is also a right-handed batter, and with Jaiswal as the opener, this combination works.

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On the other hand Sai Sudharsan lit the IPL up with his stunning batting performances and he is in some impeccable touch. This might just tempt Gill and Gambhir to go ahead with the Indian southpaw and let him open alongside Jaiswal. This leaves Rahul with the chance of playing at number three which is also a very crucial batting position.

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Experience vs Impact: The Big Issue With Team India

There is a popular theory doing the rounds that the Indian Test team is largely devoid of experience. There is no doubt that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirement will impact the Test team, but they still have experienced campaigners such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, and KL Rahul. All these players have enough experience of playing on foreign soil, and hence they can pass it on to the younger lot.

On the other hand, Sai Sudharsan lit up the IPL with his stunning batting performances, and he is in some impeccable touch. This might just tempt Gill and Gambhir to go ahead with the Indian southpaw and let him open alongside Jaiswal. This leaves Rahul with the chance of playing at number three, which is also a very crucial batting position.