Former coach rejoins Indian team ahead of England Test series

LONDON: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Adrian le Roux as the new strength and conditioning coach of the Indian cricket team, replacing Soham Desai, Indian media reported on Sunday.

According to a report, this marks le Roux’s second stint with the national side, having previously served in the same role from January 2002 to May 2003.

The announcement comes just weeks before India’s opening Test at Headingley, Leeds, on June 20. 

Le Roux was recently seen in a BCCI training video featuring the Indian squad preparing at Lord’s cricket ground, offering a glimpse into their intense pre-series fitness regime.

He brings a wealth of experience back into the Indian camp. Most recently, he held the same position with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings, guiding the team to a runners-up finish in the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, India’s preparations are in full swing. The training session at Lord’s saw key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna focusing on pace drills, while Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja were also involved in rigorous practice sessions.

Newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill is leading the charge, following the recent retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. India last won a Test series in England in 2007, and the team now aims to end that long drought.

The five Tests will be played across iconic venues, Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord’s and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester.

India squad for England Tests:

Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akashdeep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.