India's 14-man team for the opening Test against the England Lions, which begins on May 30, has been finalized by the BCCI's senior men's selection committee led by former bowler Ajit Agarkar. Despite unexpected challenges brought up by the updated IPL schedule, Agarkar and his team have chosen to name two distinct India A teams for the two-match series as per a report in The Indian Express.
"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," the report stated.
Since his IPL team, the Rajasthan Royals, have no chance of making it to the playoffs, which coincide with the match, Yashasvi Jaiswal, India's confirmed opener for the five-match Test series against England, is expected to be included in the India A squad.
Another well-known player who is probably going to play in the opening India A game is Ishan Kishan. The left-handed keeper-batter will be back in the mix after a year and a half as Sunrisers Hyderabad are eliminated from the tournament. Kishan will have fierce competition for the keeper's position from Dhruv Jurel, who played for India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With one of them serving as a designated batter, Kishan and Jurel are both expected to be included in the India A XI for the opening game.
Shardul Thakur, a seasoned all-rounder, is one of the players expected to return to the Test setup with the A team. All-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy, bowler Anshul Kamboj, and Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who is not a member of any IPL side, are also anticipated to play for the A team.
For Easwaran, who has been sidelined for a while, the two A games against the England Lions will be crucial. A strong performance for India A could pave the way for Easwaran to make his Test debut alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Karun Nair and Mukesh Kumar are also listed in the report as players chosen for India A's opening game, although things could get complicated if the Delhi Capitals make it to the playoffs. Interestingly, the report also stated that Sarfaraz Khan, who is not playing in the IPL, will not be traveling with the first group of players because he is expected to be included in the main squad.
Prior to the five-match Test series beginning from June 20, Shubman Gill, the leading candidate to succeed the now-retired Rohit Sharma as the next captain of India, is probably going to play in the second India A match to get used to the conditions. Sai Sudharsan, his opening partner for the Gujarat Titans, will also play for the India A team. He is the main contender to be the opener for Easwaran. In the second group, Washington Sundar, another GT player, will also go to England.
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There will be curiosity about Anshul Kamboj's performance. He has been called the dark horse to establish himself in the starting lineup for India. India's bench strength will be put to the test in all five Test matches, as pacers Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah are unlikely to play every match.
Following a strong IPL performance, Prasidh Krishna is sure to join the squad. Harshit Rana, whom the head coach Gautam Gambhir likes, did nothing wrong to damage his reputation during the Australia tour. The backup pacer will be selected among Kamboj, Akash Deep, and Mukesh Kumar.
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
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