KL Rahul, Shubman Gill score fifties on opening day of Intra-Squad game ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests [In Pictures]

Team India batters KL Rahul and Shubman Gill scored half-centuries on the opening day of the Intra-Squad match ahead of the Test series against England. India are set to play five Tests in England, starting June 20.

The team is in England and has begun training and practice as well. Starting Friday, June 13, the India is playing an Intra-Squad practice match. The game is not being telecast live. However, the Indian cricket Team put up updates on their official Instagram handle.

On the opening day of the practice game, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill scored half-centuries while pace-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur was among the wickets. The game is being played in Beckenham.

KL Rahul had earlier scored a hundred in the second unofficial Test between India A and England Lions as well and is in great touch ahead of the series. Shubman Gill, who has been appointed as India's new Test captain, being among the runs also comes as a huge positive.

Below are the pictures posted by the Indian cricket team on Instagram from the Intra-Squad practice match -

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Huge responsibility on Shubman Gill in Test series against England

With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli having announced their retirements from Test cricket, Shubman Gill has been handed over the duties of leading the side during the England tour.

Gill is just 25 years old and has played only 32 Tests for India so far, having scored 1893 runs at an average of 35.05 with five hundreds and seven fifties. He will have a huge responsibility both as the new captain and as a batter in the absence of some big names in the Indian Test team.

It will be a tough challenge for Gill, who's very assignment as Test captain is an overseas tour of England. It marks the beginning of a new era for the Indian team in Test cricket. This series is all the more significant as it also marks the beginning of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India.

Notably, India lost both of their last two Test series against New Zealand at home and Australia in Australia. Therefore, they will be under considerable pressure to bounce back and begin the new WTC cycle on a positive note as well.