3 players from India's squad in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests who may be dropped for the next series ft. Karun Nair

India beat England by a mere six runs in the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval on Monday, August 4. Needing seven runs to win with just one wicket in hand, England's Gus Atkinson took a wild swipe at Mohammed Siraj's full-pitched delivery, only to lose his off stump in the process.

With this result, India drew the five-match series 2-2. While the hosts were victorious in the Tests played at Headingley and Lord's, India won the matches played at Edgbaston and The Oval. The fourth Test of the series, played at Old Trafford in Manchester, ended in a draw.

The visitors had several heroes in this series, with skipper Shubman Gill leading the way with the bat (754 runs) and being named India's 'Player of the Series.' Siraj, likewise, was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 23 scalps and was named the 'Player of the Match' at The Oval.

KL Rahul (532 runs) and Ravindra Jadeja (516 runs) also feature in the top five batters of the series, while Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna picked up 14 wickets apiece and contributed heavily with the ball.

Although these players impressed for the team, there were some who did not. One fears that these players may even miss the bus when the squad is announced for India's next Test series, at home against the West Indies in October later this year, soon after the Asia Cup in September.

In this listicle, we take a look at three players who are likely to get dropped for the West Indies series:

#3 Arshdeep Singh

Seamer Arshdeep Singh, who was reportedly close to making his Test debut in the drawn fourth game in Manchester, could be one of the first players left out of India's squad against the West Indies. The left-arm pacer did little apart from training and carrying drinks throughout this tour.

Ahead of the Manchester Test, Singh appeared to have injured his bowling hand, which led to India flying Anshul Kamboj in and handing him his Test debut. With the Punjab left-arm pacer also expected to participate in the Asia Cup, he will most probably be left out of the Test series. Moreover, an extra speedster will not likely be needed at home.

#2 Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur of India in delivery stride during day three of the 4th Rothesay Test Match between England and India at Emirates Old Trafford on July 25, 2025, in Manchester, England. (Photo by Andy Kearns/Getty Images)

Shardul Thakur, who earned a recall into the Indian Test squad for this series, could be another player on whom the axe may fall. Thakur played in just two Tests against England, at Leeds and Old Trafford, and picked up a sum total of two wickets. He returned with figures of 0-38, 2-51 and 0-55 in three innings.

An all-rounder, Thakur played a vital role with the bat in India's first innings in Manchester, scoring a delightful 41. But the selectors' willingness to retain him based on this innings seems rather unlikely. The 33-year-old Mumbaikar may have to return to the Ranji Trophy and perform well to get called up again.

#1 Karun Nair

Karun Nair emerges as the frontrunner to get axed for the home series against the West Indies. With middle-order stalwarts such as Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan waiting in the wings to exploit home conditions to the fullest, Nair may have to return to the Ranji Trophy fold.

Unless the selectors decide to give the 33-year-old a long rope, Nair's time wearing the whites for India is seemingly over. The Vidarbha batter accumulated 205 runs in the eight innings he played in England, with a highest score of 57 in the final Test of the series.

Nair's Test average is still at an admirable 41.35, thanks largely to the 303* he had scored against England at home in his debut series. But returns of just one century and one half-century in 15 innings do not make for good reading. Moreover, with NDTV reporting about him having broken his index finger, Nair may be out of cricket for some time.