Ruturaj Gaikwad (Twitter)
Ruturaj Gaikwad is likely to lead the India A squad on their upcoming tour of Australia. The tour, set to begin in late October, is a golden opportunity for emerging players to show their skills and potentially secure spots in the senior Test squad.
The 15-member India A squad includes Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan, both of whom are vying for the position of reserve opener in the Test squad. The selection is important given that skipper Rohit Sharma is expected to miss the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy match.
The middle-order lineup features Devdutt Padikkal, Baba Indrajith, and Ricky Bhui, while wicketkeeping duties will be shared between Abishek Porel and Ishan Kishan. The squad also consists of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian, and Manav Suthar. The pace attack comprises Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, and Yash Dayal.
Several players in the squad have been performing well in the domestic cricket. Easwaran, having previously been part of India’s Test squad. His recent form in the Duleep Trophy, Irani Trophy, and Ranji Trophy has been nothing short of impressive. Sudharsan has also caught the selectors’ eye with his performances for Surrey and in domestic tournaments.
The tour schedule includes two four-day matches against Australia A, slated for Mackay (October 31 – November 3) and Melbourne (November 7-10). A warm-up match against the senior Indian squad in Perth (November 15-17) will be the final preparation before the Test series kickoff on November 22.
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India A squad for the tour of Australia
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, B Indrajith, Abishek Porel (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Ricky Bhui, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Manav Suthar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Tanush Kotian, Yash Dayal.