"Please keep him" - Aakash Chopra on key spinner's potential absence in India's squad for ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former India player Aakash Chopra has urged the selectors to pick Kuldeep Yadav in the Indian squad for the upcoming Test series against England. He noted that certain reports suggest Kuldeep might be ignored, highlighting that the left-arm wrist-spinner wasn't picked for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, albeit due to an injury.

India will lock horns with England in a five-match Test series, with the first game starting in Leeds on June 20. The selectors will pick the Indian squad for their first series of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle on Saturday, May 24.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener opined that Kuldeep should be a part of the Indian squad for the Test tour of England.

"Take Kuldeep Yadav for sure, because I was getting reports that he might not go, as they don't take him. He didn't go for the BGT (Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25) as well. They said he wasn't available. Of course, then he got a surgery done, but please keep him," he said (13:55).

While naming Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar as the other two likely spinners in the squad, Chopra reckoned that Axar Patel might not be picked.

"Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, I am seeing these three spinners. Axar Patel might miss out because taking four spinners will be an overkill. You won't need those many spinners, that's what I feel," he observed.

Kuldeep Yadav has picked up 56 wickets at an average of 22.16 in 13 Tests. He went wicketless and conceded 44 runs in nine overs in the 2018 Lord's Test against England, the only Test he has played on English soil.

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"I am seeing Shubman Gill as the captain, and Rishabh Pant as the vice-captain" - Aakash Chopra on India's leadership options for ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

India will have a new full-time Test captain after Rohit Sharma's retirement. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan will likely be a part of the squad, with Shubman Gill leading the side and Rishabh Pant as his deputy.

"Since Abhimanyu Easwaran is the captain of the India A team, you might see him in the squad. Sai Sudharsan's name might be in this squad. I am seeing Shubman Gill as the captain, and Rishabh Pant as the vice-captain. As per reports, Jasprit Bumrah doesn't want to captain because he will consistently not be available for all the matches. Again, these are sources, and Jasprit Bumrah can deny that," he said (14:30).

While highlighting the reported concerns about Mohammad Shami's fitness, the cricketer-turned-commentator wondered whether India would take a left-arm seamer and either Shradul Thakur or Deepak Chahar as a seam-bowling all-rounder.

"It's been heard that Mohammad Shami's Test fitness is still under scrutiny. Will they go towards a left-arm pacer? Either Arshdeep Singh or Khaleel Ahmed could be there. Can either Shradul Thakur or Deepak Chahar's name come as a seam-bowling all-rounder? One of the two is what I am thinking," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra noted that the rest of the selections will be along the expected lines, with Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep and Harshit Rana potentially being part of the seam-bowling lineup.

While observing that Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy could be two more medium pace options, he added that apart from Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Karun Nair could be part of the batting lineup.