New Delhi: The Indian cricket team kicked off their England tour with an intra-squad warm-up match that got underway on Friday at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham. The game serves as a preparation to Team India for the challenging five-Test series against England that awaits. The senior Indian men’s team took on the India A side in a four-day affair that will be played behind closed doors in its entirety.
According to an update from the BCCI, skipper Shubman Gill and senior batter KL Rahul scored half-centuries, while Shardul Thakur was among the wickets on the first day of the match. The match is being held away from the prying eyes, making it inaccessible. The BCCI, on Saturday, shared a video on its social media handles in which pacer Prasidh Krishna wrapped up the opening day of the intra-squad game.
Krishna is a part of the 18-member squad that will be on England’s tour, which officially starts from June 20 with the first Test in Leeds. In the video, Krishna outlined how the pitch played on the first day and how it was for the bowlers and the batters alike. He spoke about personal experiences as well and talked briefly about how the team is approaching the Test series.
Watch Prasidh Krishna wrap up Day 1 of the intra-squad game –
“It’s really important for all of us to get this game time… because some of them are coming from the ‘A’ game. Getting some time on the field is really important. That’s what has happened today as well,” Krishna told BCCI TV.
“Looks like a good, nice, hard pitch. Bowlers have been in the game all throughout, have been bowling some really good spells. Batsmen also showed some character. It’s always good when you are competing against each other as well. All of us are excited and enjoying what’s happening,” he added.
“All of us are getting together after a while, so a lot memories, a lot of cricket each one has played with different teams, coming here, have spent a lot of time before… just try and make sure you keep the environment light,” he said after the opening day’s play on Friday.
Getting ‘switched on’
Krishna, a right-arm fast bowler, said that he learned to adjust himself as per the team’s needs, terming it as “switching on” and is looking forward to carrying his rich Indian Premier League (IPL) form in the England tour as well. Coming from a long injury layoff, Krishna oozed form in the IPL 2025 playing for Gujarat Titans (GT) and emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the season, bagging the Purple Cap.
“(You have to) make sure you are focused when your chance is coming. But you can’t really be focused for a long time, especially when you are sitting outside, so you make sure you have a bit of fun.
“When you know you can sense the situation, you make sure you support your team in particular situations, making sure you are being switched on because anything can happen in the game, that’s the beauty of cricket in itself. I think all of us are experienced to know when you must switch on and switch off,” the Karnataka quick concluded.
Hailing from Bengaluru, the 29-year-old has come back to cricketing action rejuvenated after a long and frustrating wait on the sidelines due to frequent injuries, which also forced him to undergo surgery.
Shubman Gill and KL Rahul hit fifties while Shardul Thakur was among the wickets, according to an update shared by the BCCI, on Day 1 of India’s intra-squad match in Beckenham. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
