Key Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli decisions made ahead of England Test series

India v New Zealand: Final - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are coming towards the end of their respective careers (Picture: Getty)

India Test captain Rohit Sharma is a major doubt this summer’s series against England.

The long-serving skipper endured a difficult time of it against Australia earlier this year and although he marshaled his team to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy a fortnight ago, Sharma could skip the five-match contest with Ben Stokes’ side which begins at Headingley in June.

Virat Kohli, who has also been going through an indifferent spell with the bat, is likely to feature, however.

Sharma a mainstay of India’s powerful batting line-up and veteran of 67 Tests, endured a miserable series Down Under when India were well-beaten 3-1.

The 37-year-old sat out the final Test of that particular series having scored just 31 runs in five innings at an average of 6.20, while his average across his previous eight games stood at a measly 10.93, with a best of 23 against Bangladesh in September.