Rishabh Pant plays chess with Rahul Tewatia in London ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests [In Pictures]

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant shared a few photos on social media on Tuesday, June 10, playing chess with Rahul Tewatia in London. This comes ahead of the five-match Test series against England, starting June 20 in Leeds. Pant is set to serve as vice-captain for the series, while Shubman Gill will lead the side as the new Test captain.

Ahead of the high-profile series, Pant posted an Instagram update featuring a chess match with Gujarat Titans (GT) all-rounder Rahul Tewatia. The 27-year-old captioned the post:

“Checkmates & good vibes only. Who’s really winning?”

Tewatia was last seen in action during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Gujarat Titans. The 32-year-old mostly batted in the final overs and had limited opportunities to make an impact. He scored 99 runs in 12 innings across 15 matches, averaging 12.37 with a strike rate of 167.79.

Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans were eliminated from the tournament after a 20-run defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator, while chasing a target of 229.

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) missed out on a playoff spot, finishing seventh on the points table. Pant had a quiet tournament overall before ending on a high with a century in the final league match. He scored 269 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.16, including one fifty and one hundred.

Rishabh Pant has featured in 9 Tests in England

As anticipation builds for the upcoming five-match Test series between India and England, much of the spotlight will be on India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant. The 27-year-old will be eager to make an impact, having already played nine Tests in England, where he has scored 556 runs at an average of 32.70, including two half-centuries and two centuries.

Overall, the southpaw has represented India in 43 Test matches, scoring 2,948 runs at an average of 42.11. His tally includes 15 half-centuries and six centuries, with a career-best score of an unbeaten 159.

About the author

Dev is a cricket writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of experience. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has previously worked at Times Now as a sports writer. He played cricket in the Delhi Little Cricket League in 2016, and was among the Top 50 batters in the U-16 category.

His degree has empowered him with a good understanding of ethics in journalism and effective interviewing techniques, which he employs in his articles. He researches and verifies facts from multiple sources and remains impartial in his viewpoints. He has had the privilege of interviewing renowned sports journalist Vijay Lokapally.

Dev loves cricket because of its ability to keep spectators on the edge of their seats and its ability to foster a sense of community and shared passion. He is a staunch supporter of the Indian cricket team and his favorite cricketer is Yuvraj Singh, especially after he hit those iconic six sixes in an over in 2007. He also admires Rohit Sharma’s leadership as he led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles and Team India to the T20 World Cup.

When he’s not working, Dev enjoys watching football or catching up on his sleep.

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Edited by Nihal