India-A Team Announced for England Tour; Nitish Kumar Reddy Secures Place

The selection committee on Friday announced the India-A team for the upcoming tour of England. As part of this tour, the India-A team will play two four-day matches against the England Lions. The team will be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran.

This squad includes several talented young cricketers as well as players vying for a place in the senior Test team. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (vice-captain and wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper) are among the selected players. Notably, star players Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will join the team from the second match onwards. The tour has gained additional significance amid ongoing discussions that Shubman Gill may be a future candidate to lead the Indian Test team after Rohit Sharma.

The first match is scheduled to take place in Canterbury from May 30 to June 2, followed by the second match in Northampton from June 6 to June 9. After these two matches, the India-A team will play an internal fixture against the senior Indian team in Beckenham from June 13 to June 16. These games are expected to serve as valuable preparation ahead of the five-Test series beginning in Leeds on June 20.

Karun Nair's return to the India-A team after nearly eight years stands out as a key highlight. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, who impressed with 69 wickets in this season's Ranji Trophy, has earned his maiden call-up to the India-A squad. Other players such as Sarfaraz Khan, Harshit Rana, and Akash Deep are also ready to showcase their abilities during the tour. Given the ongoing transition within the Indian cricket team, this tour is considered a significant opportunity for young players to break into the national side.

India-A Squad:

Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (Vice-Captain & Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Manav Suthar, Tanish Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey.

(Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will join the squad before the second match.)