Shubman Gill to bat at number four in first Test against England: Rishabh Pant
Leeds/IBNS: India's new vice-captain Rishabh Pant has revealed skipper Shubman Gill will bat at number four in the first of five Tests against England beginning in Leeds on Friday.
Pant said he will stick to his usual position of number five.
Speaking at a press conference, the wicketkeeper-batter said, "I think there is still discussion going on about who is going to play three. But four, five are definitely fixed. I think Shubman is going to bat at four and I am going to stick to number five as of now, and rest we are going to keep on discussing that."
While Gill is set to demote himself, it is still not clear whether KL Rahul will join Yashasvi Jaiswal in the opening slot.
India found a new captain and vice-captain in the form of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant respectively after cricketing icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Tests.
On how is he looking at the #TeamIndia Test vice-captaincy role
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 18, 2025
Hear what Rishabh Pant had to say #ENGvIND | @RishabhPant17 pic.twitter.com/59X01ARpxm
On his new role as the vice-captain, Pant said, "It feels good but at the same time, it's a responsibility also to share your knowledge and experience with new players and youngsters coming to the team.
"At the same time, not focusing on the senior part too much as I still have to play the game and learn it as an individual and keep helping people around. That's how I look at it."
Led by Ben Stokes, England have already announced their playing XI for the series opener.
Chris Woakes replaced Sam Cook to return to the playing XI recovering from injury.
Ollie Pope features in the playing XI while Jacob Bethell misses out on this occasion.
IBNS
Senior Staff Reporter at Northeast Herald, covering news from Tripura and Northeast India.
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