India ‘A’ Squad for England Tour Announced
The BCCI has announced a formidable India ‘A’ squad for the upcoming tour of England, scheduled to begin later this month. The team will be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, with Dhruv Jurel named as vice-captain and primary wicketkeeper.
Promising openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad headline the squad. Gaikwad’s selection signals strong progress in his recovery from an elbow injury that cut short his IPL 2025 campaign with Chennai Super Kings. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will join the squad for the second match, depending on the IPL schedule, especially if Gujarat Titans reach the final on June 3. The first unofficial Test against the England Lions is set for May 30, followed by games on June 6 and a third fixture against the senior Indian team as part of their Test series prep.
Also named in the squad are notable names like Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Tanush Kotian, and Akash Deep, while Sarfaraz Khan, returning from a long-term injury, has earned a comeback call. The pace battery features Shardul Thakur, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, Harshit Rana, and Tushar Deshpande. In addition to Jurel, Ishan Kishan is included as the second wicketkeeper.
The spin attack comprises Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey — the Ranji Trophy’s Player of the Tournament — and Kotian. Notably, Devdutt Padikkal, who was part of India A’s tour of Australia, misses out due to a recent hamstring injury. Other omissions from that tour include Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Abishek Porel, Yash Dayal, and Navdeep Saini.
The tour provides key fringe players like Jaiswal, Reddy, and Sudharsan a chance to get accustomed to English conditions ahead of the senior side’s five-Test series in July.
