'The summer will be long' - England captain Ben Stokes ahead of India Tests

Published - 21 May 2025, 19:26 IST | Updated - 21 May 2025, 19:46 IST

England Test captain Ben Stokes expressed his excitement about the upcoming series against India but emphasized that their immediate focus is on the one-off encounter against Zimbabwe, which begins on May 22 at Nottingham. He stated that the team will shift its attention to the India series when it comes closer.

England will face Zimbabwe in a one-off Test at Nottingham and then followed by a five-match Test series against India which will start on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. Stokes acknowledged that the English summer will be both challenging and lengthy. He added that the series against India will be significant, and the team is fully aware of the gravity of the challenge that lies in facing the two-time World Test Championship finalists.

“Yeah, India is obviously a very, very good team wherever they go in the world. We will obviously be focused on this game first and foremost, but then as it gets closer and closer towards that India series, then our focus will shift over to there. It's going to be a long, tough summer. Five Test matches always is. It always is against India as well. So, we know what we've got coming up,” Stokes told ECB.

The England skipper acknowledged that India will feel the absence of veteran cricketer Virat Kohli after his retirement. He admitted he will personally miss the intense on-field battles with Kohli and added that he has always enjoyed playing against him.

“He obviously announced that he'll be stepping down from test cricket just before the start of what would have been the five test series against England. I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. And yeah, it's going to be, I did text him saying it's going to be a shame not to play against him because I love playing against Virat,” he added.

The 33-year-old noted that he and Kohli share a similar mindset when it comes to approaching the game. He acknowledged the right-handed batter as a class player who has earned widespread praise for his contributions to Indian cricket. The English captain highlighted Kohli’s impressive performances in the United Kingdom and commended the talent he has displayed over the years.

Going to be a shame not playing against him: Stokes on Kohli

“We both love playing against each other because we both have that same mindset when we're out on the field that, you know, it's a battle. But yeah, he's been incredible and he deserves sort of, I'm sure, no doubt there's been a lot of praise for him over in India. There's definitely been praise from players over here and, you know, he's done really well against England. So, yeah, he's been a class player,” the all-rounder concluded.