New Delhi, Apr 16: India Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma is looking forward to the ‘good challenge’ that awaits the side in England after the conclusion of the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

India will tour the Three Lions for a five-game Test series starting on June 20 at the Headingley Cricket Ground. Headingley, as the ‘Men in Blue’ hope to win their first Test series in the country since 2007.

"Absolutely, last time we played these guys, it was 2-2 in the series. Yeah, we need some of these guys to be 100% fit. We’ll have a great series, and I know the kind of cricket these guys are playing these days. It’ll definitely be a good challenge for us,” Rohit told Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.

The Indian skipper will certainly be under fire during the England series, especially after not turning up in his usual destructive self for the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy series, India’s last Test assignment, when he racked only 31 runs across the five-game series. Rohit had missed the opening Test and decided to opt out of the fifth and series-deciding game, citing his poor form.

Rohit also opened up on the decision to sit out in the game as he was replaced by Shubman Gill, which they ended up losing by six wickets.

“I had to be honest with myself - I wasn’t hitting the ball well, and I didn’t want to play just for the sake of it. A few others were struggling too, and we really wanted Gill to play. He’s such a good player and had missed the previous Test, so we felt he deserved a chance.

"I mean, I was like, okay, if I'm not hitting the ball well, there's no point forcing it. I spoke to the coach and the selector, who was on the tour as well, and they kind of agreed, kind of didn’t.

"You try to put the team first, look at what the team needs, and make the decision accordingly. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, that’s just how it goes. Every decision you make, there’s no guarantee of success or that it’s the right one. You just do what feels best for the team," revealed Rohit.

(IANS)

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