The selection of India's squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England has been complicated by concerns surrounding Jasprit Bumrah's fitness. According to reports, the star pacer has communicated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that his body may not be able to withstand the rigors of playing more than three Test matches in the series.

This development presents a significant challenge for the selection committee, especially considering that Mohammed Shami is also unlikely to be available for the England tour. Shami, who had been sidelined with an ankle injury, has been recovering but may not have built up the necessary workload for the demands of Test cricket.

Bumrah's workload has been a concern since he sustained a back injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in January 2025. He missed the Champions Trophy 2025 and is likely to miss the initial matches of the IPL 2025. The BCCI has been closely monitoring his recovery at the National Cricket Academy's Centre of Excellence, with the aim of mitigating the risk of a stress fracture.

Given Bumrah's importance to the Indian team, head coach Gautam Gambhir had earlier announced that Bumrah would only play in three of the five matches. Bumrah himself acknowledged feeling "good" but also noted the colder conditions in England compared to India. Despite the workload management concerns, he delivered an impressive performance in the Headingley Test, taking a five-wicket haul. This highlights India's dependence on Bumrah and the need to manage his workload carefully.

The Test series against England marks the beginning of a new era for the Indian team under the leadership of Shubman Gill, who takes over the Test captaincy from Rohit Sharma. The team will also be without Virat Kohli, both having retired from the format. The squad announced on May 24, 2025, includes Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav. The inclusion of Karun Nair after a gap of seven years adds a fresh dimension to the team. Harshit Rana was also added to the squad.

The five-match Test series is scheduled to be played at Leeds, Birmingham, Lord's, Manchester, and The Oval. As India begins a new World Test Championship cycle, the team will be looking to navigate the challenges posed by the absence of key players and the workload management of Jasprit Bumrah.