India Captain Shubman Gill to Miss Beginning of England Tour Due to IPL 2025

India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill, may not begin his England tour as planned. Gill has been pulled out of the India A squad that will play against England Lions in Northampton on June 6. Earlier, the BCCI selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, had picked Gill and Sai Sudharsan for this second warm-up match. The idea was to help them get used to the conditions before the five-Test series begins on June 20.
But now, the board has changed its mind. Since Gill’s IPL team, Gujarat Titans (GT), has reached the playoffs, the BCCI does not want to rush him. The board feels it is better to give Gill some rest before the tough England series. According to reports, head coach Gautam Gambhir and the selectors agreed that Gill should not be overworked. He had a long and tiring IPL season.
Gill will still get a chance to prepare for the England Tests. He will play in an intra-squad warm-up match starting June 13. So, even without the India A game, he will get time in the middle. The decision to pull Gill out was made before the IPL league stage ended. On May 26, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a high-scoring game. That result pushed Gujarat Titans to third place on the points table.

Gujarat Titans in Eliminator of IPL 2025 Playoffs

GT will now face Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator on May 30 in Mullanpur. If they win, they will play in Qualifier 2 on June 1 in Ahmedabad against the winner of RCB vs Punjab Kings. If Gujarat Titans reach the final on June 3, it would be too difficult for Gill to join India A on time for the warm-up match. That match starts just three days later.

The BCCI wants to avoid any last-minute travel for Gill. They want him fresh and ready for the Test series against England.
It is also unclear what will happen with Sai Sudharsan. He is also a key player for GT and was named in the India A squad. The selectors may take a similar decision in his case.
Meanwhile, the India A team will be coached by Hrishikesh Kanitkar and assisted by Ryan ten Doeschate. The team will be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran. Interestingly, nine players in the India A squad are also part of India’s main Test team. Playing in the warm-up match will help them get used to English conditions. The BCCI wants these players to adjust to the weather and pitches in England before the first Test at Leeds on June 20.

BCCI Extends T Dilip’s Contract as Fielding Coach

In another big update, T Dilip has returned as India’s fielding coach. He has been given a new one-year contract. Last month, the BCCI had removed Dilip and was looking for a foreign fielding coach. But they could not find a good match. Hence, Dilip has been brought back and will travel with the Indian team to England.
Dilip has worked with many Indian players at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. He has coached players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. He joined the Indian team in 2021 during the T20 World Cup. He was mentored by Mike Young, who was once the fielding coach of the Deccan Chargers. Dilip was part of Rahul Dravid’s coaching group. Most of that team left after the last T20 World Cup. But Dilip’s contract was extended until March 2025. Now, he has another year. India’s preparations for the England Test series are in full swing. The management wants players to be ready, fresh, and fully fit for the big five-match battle.