Ravi Shastri names young batter he wants in India’s Test squad for England series: 'He seems like a class player'

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has made a bold suggestion for India’s upcoming five-match Test series in England. Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri backed young batter Sai Sudharsan to be picked for the red-ball squad and also called for the inclusion of a left-arm fast bowler for the tough English conditions.

Sudharsan can play all formats, says Shastri

Sai Sudharsan is already part of India’s white-ball plans, but he’s yet to make his Test debut. He has played three ODIs and one T20I for India. Shastri believes the young Tamil Nadu batter is ready for the longest format too.

“I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all formats of the game. He seems like a class player and my eyes would be on him certainly,” Shastri said.

“Being a left-hander in England, knowing English conditions, and just his technique, the way he plays, I think he’ll be top of the list for me from the outsiders wanting to get into this side,” he added.

Sudharsan has been in excellent form in IPL 2025 and also has experience playing in English conditions. He featured for Surrey in the County Championship in both 2023 and 2024, scoring 281 runs in five matches, including a century and a fifty.

In first-class cricket overall, he has 1957 runs from 29 matches at an average close to 40, including a double hundred against Delhi in the recent Ranji Trophy season. In IPL 2025, he has scored 504 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 154.13.

Shastri calls for a left-arm fast bowler

Apart from Sudharsan, Shastri also spoke about the need for a left-arm fast bowler in the Indian Test squad. He said conditions in England will suit seamers, and having a left-armer would add variety to the bowling attack.

He mentioned two names, Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed, both of whom have mostly played white-ball cricket for India but have experience in red-ball as well.

“I’ll be looking for a left-armer… someone like Arshdeep Singh shouldn’t be called just a ‘white-ball specialist.’ If he can bowl 15-20 overs a day for me, he might be in the mix because he has the mindset and is a thinking bowler.”

Arshdeep has taken 66 wickets in 21 first-class matches and recently played County cricket for Kent, where he picked up 13 wickets in five games. Khaleel, on the other hand, has 52 wickets in 19 games and was part of the Australia tour with India A before an injury cut his trip short.

India’s Test series in England will begin on 20 June at Headingley. This five-match series will kick off India’s campaign in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. India lost their last away series 3-1 in Australia and missed out on the WTC final berth.