Ajit Agarkar finalises India A squad for first match vs England: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan in; announcement soon
India A squad for England tour: Yashavi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan in; Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan to travel in next batch.
BCCI's senior men's selection committee, headed by former pacer Ajit Agarkar, has reportedly finalised India's 14-member squad for the first Test against England Lions starting May 30. The revised IPL schedule has created unforeseen hurdles in front of the selection committee but according to a report in The Indian Express, Agarkar and his men have decided to pick two separate India A teams for the two-match series.
"The national selection panel headed by Ajit Agarkar has picked a 14-member squad for the first match, including players whose involvement in the T20 league ended in the league stage," said The Indian Express.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, India's confirmed opener for the five-match Test series against England, is set to be a part of the India A squad for the first match against the England Lions as his IPL team, the Rajasthan Royals, has no chance of qualifying for the playoffs, which clash with the match. Another big name likely to feature in the first India A match is Ishan Kishan. The left-handed keeper-batter would return in the mix after a year and a half, as Sunrisers Hyderabad are knocked out of the tournament. Kishan will face tough competition for the keeper's slot from Dhruv Jurel, who was a part of the India Test squad in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Both Kishan and Jurel are likely to feature in the India A XI for the first match, with one of them playing as a designated batter.
Among others, experienced all-rounder Shardul Thakur is set to make a comeback in the Test set-up as part of the A squad. Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran (not part of any IPL team), all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy, and pacer Anshul Kamboj are also likely to feature for the A team.
The two A games against England Lions will be of utmost importance for Easwaran, who has been on the fringes for quite some time now. A good outing for India A can open the doors for Easwaran's Test debut as Yashasvi Jaiswal's partner.
India A likely squad: No Sarfaraz Khan, eyes on Karun Nair, Anshul Kamboj
The report also mentions Karun Nair and Mukesh Kumar among the players selected for India A's first match, but if the Delhi Capitals qualify for the playoffs, things might get tricky.
Surprisingly, Sarfaraz Khan, who is not part of the IPL, won't travel with the first batch of players as he is likely to feature in the main squad, the report added.
Shubman Gill, who is the frontrunner to replace now-retired Rohit Sharma as the next India Test captain, is likely to feature in the second match of India A to gain match practice before the five-match Test series starting on June 20. His Gujarat Titans opening partner, Sai Sudharsan, will also be a part of the India A squad. He is Easwaran's biggest challenger for the opener's spot. Another GT player, Washington Sundar, will also travel to England in the second batch.
Interest will be there in Anshul Kamboj's performance. He has been referred to as the dark horse to make his case in India's main squad. Pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are unlikely to feature in all five Tests, which is where India's bench strength will be tested.
After a good show in the IPL for GT. Prasidh Krishna is certain to make the cut. Head coach Gautam Gambhir is particularly fond of Harshit Rana, who did his reputation no harm in the Australia tour. The choice for the backup pacer will be among Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj.
India A squad (likely): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj and Manav Suthar
