Team India is set to start its campaign for the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle against England from the 20th of June at Headingley under the captaincy of a new captain, Shubman Gill. Team India consists of some new faces who are unfamiliar with the English conditions that will challenge them. Head coach Gautam Gambhir faces a challenging task, as it is always difficult to beat England on their home ground. Team India last won a test series in England under the captaincy of former India skipper and coach Rahul Dravid in 2007. The current team can take motivation from that team. The current Indian team consists of some talented players who are capable of beating the Three Lions if they play to their capabilities.

England right-hander Ollie Pope stated that star India player and former India skipper Virat Kohli's absence from the team will be a big factor. Kohli recently announced his retirement from test cricket, which shocked everyone. Pope said Kohli's absence would be felt. Although he said that the current Indian set-up possesses some talented cricketers who could be the future stars. Both teams will feel the pressure, and hopefully, it could mould test cricket in a big way.

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It's a young team, but these Indian players have so much depth and talent. So they've got a lot of young guys coming through; a lot of good players. Shubman Gill, their new captain, is a fantastic player. They will miss the aura of Virat Kohli standing at slips and chirping away. But they have got some good talent, so they will feel confident. But our players are ready for it," Ollie Pope said, speaking to India Today.

It's the perfect time to play India: Ollie Pope

Pope mentioned that while Sri Lanka and the West Indies had toured England last summer, India’s current tour presented a more significant challenge due to the quality of the Indian team. He said this would help the England team focus better and described it as the perfect time to play against India. He also expressed that the upcoming Ashes series would be an exciting prospect.

"Last summer, Sri Lanka and the West Indies had toured England, but with India touring England this time around, and the quality Team India possesses, it would help the England team focus on this challenge. It's the perfect time to play India, and once the Ashes series arrives, it will be exciting," Pope added further.

On 12 May 2025, Virat Kohli officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, just ahead of India’s tour of England. The timing surprised many, as Kohli had enjoyed considerable success in England previously. His decision also raised eyebrows because he was merely 770 runs away from reaching the remarkable milestone of 10,000 Test runs. Fans and experts alike were left speculating about the reasons behind his exit from the longest format, especially given his form and fitness.