Indian captain Rohit Sharma shared optimism about having a fully fit squad before the five-match Test series against England. While speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, he emphasised the importance of managing player fitness during the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well.

“We need some of these guys to be 100 per cent fit. We just have to make sure they come out of the IPL really well. This is the most challenging one — I know it’s only four overs, but you play today, you travel tomorrow, and then you play again. That’s the tough part, because you’re travelling all across the country and playing so many games,” Rohit Sharma said.

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He also mentioned the importance of pace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami staying injury-free, saying that a fully fit team would give Team India a great chance to win the series. He also opined on the intense level of international cricket being played and the challenges that come with it.

“I hope that these two guys, along with the others, finish the IPL without any concerns. If we have a fully fit team going to England, we’ll have a great series there,” said Rohit. “The kind of cricket these guys are playing these days — it’s going to be a good challenge for us,” he added.

However, India’s last series win in England came way back in 2007 under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid by 1-0. Since then, their last Test series in England ended in a 2-2 draw in 2022 after Team India played the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston under Jasprit Bumrah, after initially leading the series 2-1 under Virat Kohli as well.