India face new Test era as Kohli and Rohit depart

INDIA cricket will enter an uncertain new era next week when selectors name a Test squad without all-time greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the first time in more than a decade.

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Batting stalwarts Kohli and captain Rohit both retired from Tests in the past week, leaving Shubman Gill as the front-runner to lead a new-look India side in England. The retirement last year of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin leaves India without the backbone of the team that was formerly No 1 in the world Test rankings.

Top-order batsman Gill is the favourite to be given the task of starting India’s rebuild with the five-Test England series, which begins on 20 June at Headingley.

"Gill looks like the heir apparent, but his record overseas hasn't looked too great," veteran cricket journalist Ayaz Memon said.

The 25-year-old Gill has scored 1 893 runs at an average of 35.05 in 32 Tests since his debut in 2020, with five hundreds. But in 13 Tests away from home, his average is only 29.50.