According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the Indian National Cricket Team is all set to lock horns with the England Lions in three four-day matches before the Test series against the England National Cricket Team.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has organized these games to ensure that the players get used to the English conditions and prepare well for the Test matches.
Also read: BControl Ord for Cricket in India takes tough action, new ban on Indian cricketers
India and England will lock horns in 5 test matches
The Indian National Cricket Team will face the England National Cricket Team in a five-match Test series in June, July and August 2025.
The opening Test series will begin on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds, with the second leg being hosted by Edgbaston, Birmingham from July 2.
The third Test match will be played at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from July 10, while the fourth match will be played at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester from July 23. The fifth and final Test match of the series will begin on July 31. at Kennington Oval in London.
The Indian players will get 3 four-day games leading up to the England Tests
Team India players looking to strengthen their case for selection or regain their form will do so in three four-day matches against the English Lions on May 25, the end of the IPL. Start of tests.
The Indian batsmen’s recent performances have been extremely poor and they have failed in the last three Test series – at home against Bangladesh National Cricket Team and New Zealand National Cricket Team and Australia National Cricket Team Down Under.
A poor performance with the bat led to the side suffering a 0-3 cry at home against the Black Caps and they also lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade. With this, they were eliminated from the race to the final of the World Test Championship for the first time.
There is no confirmation that Rohit Sharma will get an opportunity to play the Test series against England after his horror show in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which forced him to withdraw from the Sydney Test. Things have not been good for Virat Kohli, who has averaged 30.72 since 2020.
Meanwhile, the quality of England Lions for the matches is in doubt as the best cricketers can be busy in the T20 Blast. However, the BCCI is confident that the ECB will respond after strong opposition in the Lions’ shadow tour alongside the Test tour of India in 2023-24, reports ESPNCricinfo. According to reports, the BCCI has organized these matches to give the batsmen an opportunity to present their case for selection.
Sitanshu Kotak has been named India’s batting coach
Another step taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to address the batting issues was the appointment of a new batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak.
According to a report in TOI, Sitanshu Kotak has been added as batting coach to the Gautam Gambhir-led support staff. He will start his career with a home series against England which has five T20Is and three ODIs.
Reportedly, it was Gautam Gambhir who requested the BCCI to add a batting coach at the review meeting after the BGT debacle and the officials granted his request.
As quoted by TOI, a senior BCCI official who was part of the meeting said, “Coach Gambhir asked for a batting coach during the review meeting. Since then discussions were going on and now Kotak will be added to the support staff.”
“Most of our batsmen (batsmen), including the seniors, have struggled badly in the last two series. The support staff of the Indian men’s cricket team needs to be strengthened in terms of batting,” a reliable source said.
 has organised these games to ensure that the players get used to English conditions and prepare well for the Test matches.){kind=link}