‘I think what India will miss about Virat Kohli will be…’: Ben Stokes on what Gill and Co could lack in England series

The upcoming England Test series will see a new generation of Indian cricketers take over the mantle, with the appointment of Shubman Gill as captain. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin are not part of the Test setup anymore. Rohit and Kohli retired from Test cricket recently and Ashwin quit all formats during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ben Stokes spoke about Virat Kohli's Test retirement.(AP)

The atmosphere will be different this time in England as India take on the field in Leeds in the opening Test, starting from June 20 onwards.

Ben Stokes on Virat Kohli's Test retirement

In a video released by ECB ahead of the series, England Test captain Ben Stokes spoke on Kohli’s retirement and what his absence would mean for India. “I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, and his desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn't he? It'll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time,” he said.

The Englishman also revealed that he spoke to Kohli, when he announced his Test retirement. “I did text him, saying it's going to be a shame not to play against him because I love playing against Virat. We both love playing against each other because we have that same mindset when we are out in the field—that it's a battle,” he said.

With the absence of Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin, only Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are the remaining members of the previous leadership setup. Meanwhile, Pant has been appointed as vice-captain. The series will also see a new-look India top-order, with Yashasvi Jaiswal expected to open the innings with debutant Sai Sudharsan. Meanwhile, comeback king Karun Nair is also expected to be a key cog in the top-order.

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