Cheteshwar Pujara returns to Indian squad for England Test, no place for Ajinkya Rahane

India’s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, who was dropped post the dismal show in way Tests in South Africa, received a call up for the fifth rescheduled Test vs England. 

Rohit Sharma will lead the side and Virat Kohli also features in the squad. 

TEST Squad – Rohit Sharma (Capt), KL Rahul (VC), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Jadeja, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohd Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Prasidh Krishna #ENGvIND

— BCCI (@BCCI) May 22, 2022

Pujara has been rewarded for his good run in the ongoing County season in England where he has smashed three tons, including two double centuries while playing for Sussex. And now with his name included in the squad, Pujara is set to extend his stay in England. 

However, there is not return for India’s other ‘Test specialist’ Ajinkya Rahane, who was also dropped after the end of SA Tests. He had a bad IPL 2022 as well and coming back to the team will be tough for him as new names keep emerging in Indian cricket.   

India’s T20 squad for South Africa series was also announced by BCCI in which Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik has got a maiden call up while Dinesh Karthik has made a return. 

Prasidh Krishna, who had been drafted into the Test squad during the course of last series, is back while KS Bharath is now the official second keeper in Tests after 37-year-old Wriddhiman Saha was shown the door earlier this year.

Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari, who have done well for India in the little chances that they got, are there.

Indian TEST Squad – Rohit Sharma (Capt), KL Rahul (VC), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Jadeja, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohd Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Prasidh Krishna