The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed the India A squad for two multi-day matches against Australia A scheduled for September, with Shreyas Iyer appointed as the captain in an unexpected decision.
India A is set to compete against Australia A in two games, commencing on September 16 and 23, respectively. In addition to Shreyas, several other experienced Indian cricketers have been selected for the squad, including Dhruv Jurel, B Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Prasidh Krishna. Jurel has been designated as the vice-captain of the team.
The BCCI has also declared that experienced batter KL Rahul and prominent pacer Mohammed Siraj will be included in the squad for the upcoming second multi-day match.
Although it is not entirely the senior team, this signifies the return of Shreyas Iyer to the red-ball format for India. With India scheduled to compete in two Tests against the West Indies at the beginning of October, this India A opportunity could serve as a pathway for Shreyas to rejoin the senior team.
Several skilled Indian cricketers who have recently excelled in domestic cricket have been selected for the India A team. This group includes players such as Ayush Badoni, Tanush Kotian, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, N Jagadeesan, and Gurnoor Brar.
The two multi-day matches will take place in Lucknow, after which India A will face Australia A in three one-day matches on September 30, October 3, and October 5. The one-day matches are scheduled to occur in Kanpur.
Sarfaraz Khan, who is currently recovering from an injury, has been excluded from the India A squad.
The squad does not include any players who are part of India’s white-ball team, which will be engaged in the Asia Cup 2025 during the same month.
Squad: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, N Jagadeesan (Wicketkeeper), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (Vice-Captain & Wicketkeeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Ayush Badoni, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Manav Suthar, Yash Thakur