“Strange team selection overall” - Sanjay Manjrekar’s stunning take on India squad for ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has criticized India's squad for the England tour next month, calling the team selection "strange". The 59-year-old further opined that India would go into the series with nothing to lose, and it was a side in transition, following the retirements of R Ashwin from international cricket and Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket.

Manjrekar admitted that the fans and other stakeholders in Indian cricket would need to show patience as far as success on the field was concerned.

"Strange team selection overall. But India go to England with nothing to lose. It’s a team in transition so we can only wish it the very best & yes, be patient when it comes to returns on investment," Manjrekar wrote on X on Saturday, May 24.

Earlier this month, Manjrekar had openly backed Jasprit Bumrah to take over from Rohit Sharma as the new Test captain. The selectors, however, chose to go with Shubman Gill as the new man at the helm, with Rishabh Pant appointed the vice-captain.

Sai Sudharsan earns maiden call-up, Karun Nair gets a recall as India pick 18-man squad for England tour

Gujarat Titans (GT) opening batter Sai Sudharsan, who is the current Orange Cap holder in IPL 2025, earned a maiden call-up to the Test team. Karun Nair, who last played for India in 2017, was recalled after a prolific Ranji Trophy season for Vidarbha.

Sarfaraz Khan and Harshit Rana, both of whom featured in the last squad against Australia, were omitted from the squad travelling to England. India opted to go with five frontline fast bowling options in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav will be the two main spin-bowling options.

India have not won a Test series in England since 2007, when Rahul Dravid and his team won the three-match series 1-0.