Watch Out for These Key Players in India’s Tour of England 2025

The India tour of England is now just a few days away, bringing back the Test season for cricket fans. It is also a new start for the Indian team in the Test format, as Shubman Gill starts his journey as the team’s captain, with Rishabh Pant as the vice captain of the line-up. However, their first assignment is a big challenge, as the England tours have never been easy for the Indian team.

Till now, India has secured just three wins over England in the away Test series, and the last one came in 2007. Shubman Gill and company have the opportunity to script history by winning the series, starting from 20 June, and etch his name in the list of greatest Test captains in India.

TCNI’s Top Picks for India vs England Series

The India tour of England is now all set to commence from 20 June, and fans surely do have a lot of expectations from both teams. TCNI has made some picks for the top scorers, leading wicket takers, and much more for the series. Let’s take a look at the expected top performers in the upcoming India tour of England.

Top Run-Scorer

Joe Root is the main contender for the run-scoring charts in the upcoming India tour of England. One of the Fab 4 stars, Root has scored 13006 runs in 153 matches at an average of 50.80, with 36 centuries and 65 half-centuries. Along with that, Root has dominated in the last few World Test Championship cycles, which showcases his stellar form.

Root holds some unreal stats against the Indian team in Tests, as he loves batting against India. In 30 Test matches, he has scored 2846 runs at an average of 58.08, with 10 centuries and 11 half-centuries. This further makes it clear that the Indian bowlers will have a tough time against Root.

Moreover, he will be playing the series at home, favouring his batting style more. In 79 Home Test matches, he has scored 6792 runs at an average of 54.77, with 21 centuries and 32 half-centuries. Various cricket analysts have also said that he is likely to get at least three centuries in the upcoming Test series against India.

For the Indian team, Rishabh Pant is expected to be the top run scorer. Known for his risky playing style, Rishabh Pant has scored 2948 runs in 43 Test matches at an average of 42.11, with 6 centuries and 15 half-centuries. He will be eager to pose a big challenge to the inexperienced bowling line-up of England.

Against England, Pant has scored 781 runs in 12 matches at an average of 39.05, with 3 centuries and 4 half-centuries. Moreover, he also holds good stats in England, scoring 556 runs in 9 matches at an average of 32.70, with 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries. With most of the new batters being a part of the Indian line-up, Pant is expected to lead them from the front.

Leading Wicket Taker

When it comes to the leading wicket-taker of the series, Chris Woakes remains a top pick for England’s bowling line-up. He seems to be an experienced player in English conditions, who is likely to bring out some fresh challenges to the Indian batsmen. His career has been filled with some inconsistent performances in Tests, but he has found the rhythm lately.

In 57 Test matches, he has taken 181 wickets at an average of 28.24 and an economy of 3.02 runs per over. The English conditions will surely favour the pacer, knowing the fact that he has played a lot on them over the past few years. Against India, he has played 9 matches and taken 23 wickets at an average of 33.30 and an economy of 3.01 runs per over.

Although his stats against India are not as good as expected, the fact that Woakes will be playing at his home ground could help him a lot. In England, he has played 34 Test matches and taken 137 wickets at an average of 21.59 and an economy of just 3.01 runs per over. Such stats also show that the majority of his Test wickets have come at the English pitches, making him a top contender for wicket-taking charts.

Making his comeback to the Indian cricket team, Mohammed Siraj is the top pick to be the team’s highest wicket-taker. Since the team lacks experience in its bowling line-up and will be missing out on Bumrah in a few matches and Shami throughout the series, Siraj holds the most experience on English pitches. In his Test career, he has taken 100 wickets in 36 matches at an average of 30.74.

Against England, Siraj has done well, taking 27 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 34.74 and an economy of 3.80 runs per over. Siraj has also played 6 Tests in England, where he took 23 wickets at an average of 34 and an economy of 3.80 runs per over. His spell against England is still remembered by the fans, which helped the Indian team to get an iconic win at the Lord’s.

Player of the Series

For the Player of the Series, Ben Stokes is the top pick for England’s line-up, as he could make an impact with both bat and ball. Known as one of the best all-rounders in the Test format lately, Stokes has scored 6728 runs at an average of 35.41 and taken 213 wickets at an average of 32.15 in 111 Test matches.

Against India, Stokes has made an impact with the bat in a few games, scoring 972 runs in 21 matches at an average of 24.92, with a century and 5 half-centuries. But in England, he has scored 3036 runs in 49 matches at an average of 39.94, with 8 centuries and 18 half-centuries.

With the ball also, Stokes could make an impact, as he holds 40 wickets against India in 21 Test matches at an average of 31.17, and an economy of 3.25 runs per over. In the English conditions, he holds 106 wickets in 49 matches at an average of 30.51, and an economy of 3.41 runs per over. Since his contribution comes with both bat and ball, Ben Stokes is likely to win the Player of the Series award.

For the Indian team, KL Rahul remains the top contender for the Player of the Series title, as he will also be opening for the team. Being the most experienced batter in the Indian line-up, Rahul has played 58 Test matches and scored 3257 runs at an average of 33.57, with 8 centuries and 17 half-centuries. Against England, he has scored 955 runs in 13 matches at an average of 39.79, with 3 centuries and 2 half-centuries.

His stats while opening have been impressive, as KL Rahul has scored 1601 runs in 26 matches at an average of 40.02, with 4 centuries and 8 half-centuries. Moreover, in England, he has scored 614 runs in 9 matches at an average of 34.11, with 2 centuries and just one half-century. This makes it clear that Rahul will be having a century in his eyes when he goes against England.

Series Prediction

The India tour of England has always been a challenging one for the Indian team, which even the star captains such as Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni were not able to win. Moreover, the team will be playing without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of the most experienced batsmen, which adds more to their troubles.

A young Indian side will also be missing out on their key bowlers such as Mohammed Shami, who is unavailable due to fitness issues, and Jasprit Bumrah, who will be playing just three matches. Although the pace line-up is filled with some good stars, they still lack experience in the English conditions, with Mohammed Siraj being the most experienced pacer.

Along with that, the entire Indian squad holds approximately 2680 runs more than Joe Root has made in his entire career. This shows the lack of experience and depth the team could face in the upcoming series against England, posing some serious challenges.

On the other hand, it is not just India which will be playing with an inexperienced line-up, as England also enters the next match with inexperienced bowlers. But they will also be having the advantage of the home conditions, which is likely to favour them, regardless of the experience they hold against the Indian team.

It is also likely that England will win the series by 4-1 against India, and mark it as a challenging start for the Indian team under Shubman Gill. If Gill and company are able to tackle the challenges put forward to them in the English conditions, they might be able to overturn the result and grab a historic win against England in England.