London: The absence of Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the Test series in England will give a “massive boost” to the hosts, said former all-rounder Moeen Ali, adding that Shubman Gill would be the likely choice to lead the side for the gruelling five-match tour commencing next month.
Rohit and Virat announced their retirements from Test cricket which has left India without two of their most experienced players for the series, which is also the beginning of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle.
The series will begin with the opening Test scheduled at Headingley from June 20.
“Definitely, I think it’s a massive boost for England. Two top players who’ve been to England a few times on tour, so they have the experience. I remember Rohit playing really well the last time they were in England. The character they have, the leaders they (are), both of them have captained India in Test cricket, so yeah a massive loss for the team,” the former England all-rounder, who retired from international cricket last year but continues to play in domestic T20 leagues including the IPL, said.
Moeen, who played 68 Tests and showcased his all-round abilities, scoring more than 3,000 runs and taking 200-plus wickets with his off-spin, added that Gill would be a “very good” choice to lead India despite his inexperience of captaining India in the longest format.
Gill, who has emerged as the frontrunner to lead India after Rohit’s retirement from Test cricket, has never captained India in the longest format or ODIs. “I think it will be Shubman Gill. Ideally they (BCCI) would want Jasprit Bumrah to captain because he is a very good leader who has done it before. But because of his injury record he might not be a able to last the whole series, I think they’ll give it to somebody who’s done decently so far in Tests.”