With Indian test team is set to undergo a transition under new captaincy, Shubman Gill, after the retirement of senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravinchandran Ashwin.

As India prepares for a challenging tour of England in June, which is the first assignment in the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle, former South African great AB de Villiers reflected on the transition.

The South African legend feels that the young players will have to step up with a lot of talents in India and also credited IPL for finding youngsters.

“It is time for the younger guys to step up. Shubman Gill is taking on the responsibility. There is a lot of talent in India, and largely the credit goes to IPL for that,” said de Villiers.

“We saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi this year,” de Villiers noted, referring to the teen sensation.

He spoke high about 14-year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi stunned the cricketing world this year with a breathtaking century in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Suryavanshi smashed 101 runs off 38 deliveries, becoming the youngest ever centurion in men’s T20 cricket.

His century came off 35 deliveries which is the second fastest in IPL history, a staggering achievement for a player of his age.

The month of June marks the beginning of the new ICC WTC cycle, but also signals a new rise in the Indian cricket.

Under Gill’s captaincy, the youngsters group will face a stern challenge in England, known for its test conditions and formidable home record.

“It will be a tough test against England,” said AB de Villiers. The test series is set to begin on June 20 and will be played until the first week of August.

India squad for England tour: Squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC, WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kl Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Kumar Reddy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.