India's five-Test tour of England: Leeds, Birmingham, Lords, Manchester and Oval

Team India (Pic: AFP)

Rohit Sharma and Co. will start their next cycle of World Test Championship with India's five-Test tour of England with the opening game scheduled at the seamer-friendly Headingley on June 20.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule on X.

"Announced! A look at #TeamIndia's fixtures for the 5-match Test series against England in 2025 #ENGvIND," tweeted BCCI.

The next WTC cycle will run from 2025 to 2027 and it starts right after the final of the current cycle which will also be held in England.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has strategically kept matches at venues where England's swing bowlers will enjoy distinct advantage. The second Test will be held at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 2-6.

Also Read: No stopping Rohit Sharma's Team India!

The third Test will be held at the hallowed Lord's ground from July 10-14, while Old Trafford in Manchester will host the fourth Test between July 23-27. The tour concludes with the final Test at the Oval from July 31-August 4.

There is a week's gap between first and second Test and eight-day interval between the third and fourth Tests giving players enough time to recuperate.

During India's last tour of England, four Tests were played from August to September 2021 under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, which India was leading 2-1. However, the final match was rescheduled for July 2022 due to COVID-19. India played that match at Edgbaston under the captaincy of Jasprit Bumrah, losing it by seven wickets to level the series 2-2 and miss what was their best chance to secure a Test series win in England's testing conditions.

In the last Test series played between both the sides this year, England succumbed to a 4-1 loss to India in India, with skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum's 'Bazball' approach to cricket failing to breach India's home supremacy, marked by dominant performances from skipper Rohit Sharma, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. Several youngsters like Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan and Akash Deep also shined in what was a hotly-contested series.

(With agency inputs)