The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) senior men’s national committee, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, has finalized a 14-member India A squad for the first unofficial Test against England Lions, scheduled to begin on May 30.
The squad, headlined by opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, is set to be officially announced, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The selection has been shaped by the revised Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) schedule, prompting the BCCI to opt for two separate India A squads for the two-match series to accommodate players’ IPL commitments.
Advertisement
India A Likely Squad for 1st Test vs England Lions
The India A tour, designed to prepare players for the senior team’s five-match Test series against England, starting June 20, includes two four-day matches against England Lions and an intra-squad fixture. The first match’s squad is likely to feature players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals) and Ishan Kishan (Sunrisers Hyderabad), whose IPL teams have failed to qualify for the playoffs, which overlap with the May 30 fixture.
Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Akash Deep, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj and Manav Suthar are a few other players who will likely make the cut.
Notably, Nair plays for Delhi Capitals (DC), and they are still in the hunt for the playoffs. Suthar is a part of the Gujarat Titans’ (GT) squad for IPL 2025, and they have almost qualified for the playoffs.
Advertisement
IPL 2025 Revised Schedule Leads to Players’ Unavailability for India A Tour
The revised IPL 2025 schedule, announced after the tournament’s suspension due to India-Pakistan tensions, has created logistical challenges for the selection committee.
With playoffs clashing with the first India A match, players like Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar, whose IPL teams are still in contention, are slated to join the second match against England Lions.
Notably, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar, sidelined by a finger injury, is unlikely to get selected for the tour. Sarfaraz Khan, absent from IPL 2025, will travel with the senior squad.
Also read: IPL 2025: Watch - Rohit Sharma Resumes Practice With Mumbai Indians After IPL Resumption Confirmed
