NEW DELHI: India opener Shubman Gill could miss the five-test series against England due to a leg injury, the Times of India and other local media reports said on Thursday.

Gill sustained the injury during India's defeat in the final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand in Southampton last month, the newspaper said.

A team spokesman did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

The opener is likely to return home from England before the series gets underway at Trent Bridge on Aug. 4, the Hindu said.

The 21-year-old impressed in his debut series in Australia where India overcame a host of injuries to complete a thrilling 2-1 series win in January.

Gill has since managed only one fifty in nine innings but was expected to continue as Rohit Sharma's opening partner in England.

Should Gill miss the series, Mayank Agarwal is likely to replace him at the top of the order in what would be his first test in seven months.

India do have other options, including top-order batsman KL Rahul and all-rounder Hanuma Vihari, who opened in the 2018 'Boxing Day' test in Melbourne.