India 'A' squad for England tour to be announced on this date, 29-year-old set to be captain

The India 'A' tour of England will be a crucial one considering that several players will audition for the senior side that will go up against Ben Stokes' England starting June 20. Head coach Gautam Gambhir is set to travel with the India 'A' squad which will feature a few senior players who would look to acclimatise to the conditions. 

As per a report by Cricbuzz, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to announce the India 'A' squad on May 13. The report claims that on May 6 the selectors had a meeting at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai. The squad has already been picked and being given finishing touches.

29-year-old Abhimanyu Easwaran is the frontrunner for India 'A' captaincy role. Easwaran was a part of India's Test squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 but did not get to make his Test debut. He has 7,674 runs under his belt in 101 first-class games including 27 centuries. 

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The two-match series between India 'A' and England Lions will begin on May 30. The second match will commence on June 6 whereas the senior side will play a warm-up game against England Lions from June 13. 

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Players on radar

India are yet to name the new Test captain after Rohit Sharma's retirement. The selectors currently face a dilemma as they will have to pick a squad keeping in mind the new schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL). They may end up picking a few non-IPL players. Those in the mix for selection include Tanush Kotian, Baba Indrajith, Akash Deep, Karun Nair. Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to be a part of India A squad as well. The break in IPL will also prevent Gambhir from testing out Mukesh Kumar and Yash Dayal in English conditions.

Shardul's to get his spot back?

Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur is set for his Test return. Ishan Kishan continues stay out of the mix considering there are two wicketkeepers in the senior squad. Sarfaraz Khan who will be returning from injury is not guaranteed a spot in the senior squad straight away. 

What if Kohli retires?

The report further states that Shreyas Iyer is not in the scheme of things despite his form in Test cricket. However, if Virat Kohli retires, Iyer may get a chance in the side as well.