.png){kind=small}
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
5 hours ago
4
ARTICLE AD BOX
England's captain Ben Stokes during a cricket nets session at Headingley, Leeds, England, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
England skipper Ben Stokes said that even without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin, India will be a side to be reckoned with due to their deep talent pool. Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin hung up their boots from the longest format in the last few months with Shubman Gill set to lead the transitioning India side in the upcoming 5-match Test series against England.
“There’s been a lot said about no Rohit, no Virat and no Ashwin, that doesn’t mean that we think it’s going to be any easier than what it ever is against India. The pool of talent that Indian cricket has is just ginormous. Although Virat, Rohit and Ashwin have done amazing things for their country on the field, that doesn’t mean that whoever comes in to replace those individuals are going to be any less hard to bowl at or bat against, just because of how big the pool of talent is in India,” Stokes said in a pre-match press conference on Thursday.
“We’ve spent a lot of time out at the IPL, so I know that there’s a lot of it. Obviously, three massive names, three people who have done wonderful things for their country, but it is not going to be any easier for us because of those three big names out there,” he added.
The England captain also said while Jasprit Bumrah will pose a threat to their batting line up, they won’t put their focus solely on him.
Stokes acknowledged Jasprit Bumrah will be a threat to the English batting line-up but added that his side won’t be focused entirely on handling the Indian ace.
“Bumrah leading their attack, he’s a fantastic bowler but there (are) 11 players on the team, and it takes a team to win a game of cricket. But we know Bumrah is an amazing bowler all around the world. His record shows that, wherever he goes, he does well. We know Bumrah is going to be a threat, but we know that every other bowler that India has is also going to be a threat,” he said.
“Focusing on one individual over another isn’t what we’re going to be doing, but obviously, you pay respect to your opposition, and Jasprit Bumrah certainly is a fantastic bowler,” he added.
English (US) ·