Team India captain Rohit Sharma shared his thoughts on the team’s preparation for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
The 37-year-old batter stated that pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami should be 100 percent fit after the IPL 2025 season.
India are scheduled to begin their new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with the Test series in England this summer.
The Men in Blue will be hoping to bounce back after failing to qualify for the final in the WTC 2023–25 cycle. Notably, they have not clinched a Test series victory on English soil since 2007.
We Need Jasprit Bumrah And Mohammed Shami To Be 100 Percent – Rohit Sharma
Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Rohit Sharma said that India came close to winning the Test series on their previous tour of England.
He stated that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami’s fitness will be vital to India’s success in the upcoming series.
“Absolutely. Last time we played these guys, it was 2-2. We need some of these guys (Bumrah and Shami) to be 100 percent,” Rohit Sharma told the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
India took a 2-1 lead in the 2021-2022 tour before the final match was postponed due to COVID-19. England won the fifth Test after nearly a year.
Jasprit Bumrah suffered a back injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The right-arm fast bowler had to miss several matches in the IPL 2025 season.
This Is The Most Challenging One – Rohit Sharma
In the same video, Rohit Sharma said that Bumrah and Shami should conclude the IPL 2025 in good physical condition. He added that if the team is fully fit, it will set them up for a strong and competitive series in England.
“We just got to make sure they come out of IPL really well. This is the most challenging one. I know it’s only four overs, but you play today, travel tomorrow, and then play again. That’s the challenging part – travelling all across the country – and it’s challenging. I hope these two guys, along with the other guys, come out of the IPL,” Rohit added.
“If we have a fit team going to England, we will have a great series. It will be a good challenge for us.”
The upcoming five-Test series will start at Headingley on June 20. After the series opener, the remaining matches are set to take place in Birmingham from July 2-6, at Lord’s from July 10-14, at Old Trafford from July 23-27, and conclude at The Oval from July 31 to August 4.
Jasprit Bumrah Continues to Lead India’s Pace Attack in Test Matches
Jasprit Bumrah, known for his outstanding red-ball record, was in exceptional form during India’s tour of Australia, taking 32 wickets in five Tests at an impressive average of 13.06, including three five-wicket hauls. Bumrah has taken 205 wickets in 45 Tests at an average of 19.40, with 13 five-wicket hauls.
During India’s 2021 tour of England, the 31-year-old speedster was also lethal with the ball. He picked up 23 wickets in nine innings at an average of 22.47.
The Ahmedabad-born pacer captained India for the first time in the Edgbaston Test, where the Men in Blue suffered a heavy defeat to England.
