INDIA’S TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025
Jagadeesan could come in for Pant. © BCCI/IPL
r of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. The right-handed keeper batter from Tamil Nadu is almost certain to be added to the squad. An announcement is expected soon.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the national selectors and the touring team management were looking for a suitable replacement for Pant who has been ruled out of the series due to a fracture in his right toe. Pant sustained the injury on Day 1 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester while batting.
Finally, they identified the 29-year-old Jagadeesan, who is expected join the squad ahead of the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The selectors and the team management were looking at Ishan Kishan as a potential option and it later emerged that the 27-year-old keeper from Jharkhand is not available.
Jagadeesan has been picked for his stellar domestic performance, particularly in red-ball cricket. In 52 first-class matches, he has 3373 runs at a healthy average of 47.50 with 14 half-centuries and 10 centuries.
In the last Ranji season, he tallied 674 runs in eight matches at an impressive average of 56.16, with two hundreds and five fifties – most runs for his state in the competition. Among wicketkeepers, he had the second-best aggregate after Vidarbha’s Akshay Wadkar (722 runs at 45.12 in 10 matches).
The selectors had the option of picking KS Bharat, another keeper-batter, who is currently playing in England for Dulwich CC. The Andhra keeper has even played a Test in England but he was not considered.
Dhruv Jurel is already in the squad and will be keeping the wickets in the ongoing Old Trafford Test. India also have the option of falling back on KL Rahul, who has kept wickets in international games, including in the World Cup and Champions Trophy.
© Cricbuzz
