The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the India A squad for the upcoming first-class Test series against Australia A which is scheduled to start from October 31. India will play two Test matches against Australia A and the third red-ball match will be played against Rohit Sharma-led India who will play five Test matches against Australia's senior men's cricket team.
India's Asian Games gold medallist Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead India A and Bengal batter Abhimanyu Easwaran will be his deputy. Wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan who last played a match for India in 2023 will be part of the squad.
One of the most significant omissions from the 15-member squad was speedster Mayank Yadav, who many anticipated would be included. Instead, the selectors opted for players like Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, and Navdeep Saini.
"The Men’s Selection Committee has picked a 15-member India A squad for the upcoming tour of Australia. India A will play two first-class matches against Australia A in Mackay and Melbourne respectively and then take part in a three-day intra-squad game against Team India (Senior Men) in Perth" said BCCI in a release.
Kishan, who lost his BCCI central contract earlier this year due to concerns about his focus on the lucrative Indian Premier League over domestic cricket, has made his return to the India A setup.
His last appearance for the India squad was during the 2023 tour of South Africa, which he left midway. Reports indicated that he took a personal break, a decision that did not sit well with the BCCI.
Following his choice to skip domestic competitions leading up to the IPL, the board ultimately decided to drop him from the central contract.
India A schedule
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India A tour of Australia, 2024 |
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|
No. |
Date (From) |
Date (To) |
Start Day |
Time (local) |
Match |
Venue |
|
1 |
31st Oct '24 |
3rd Nov '24 |
Thursday |
10:00 AM |
1st first-class |
GBRA, Mackay |
|
2 |
7th Nov '24 |
10th Nov '24 |
Thursday |
10:30 AM |
2nd first-class |
MCG, Melbourne |
|
3 |
15th Nov '24 |
17th Nov '24 |
Friday |
10.20 AM |
Match Simulation |
WACA, Perth |
India A squad for the tour of Australia: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (WK), Abishek Porel (WK), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian
