Courtesy: BCCI
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly expected to announce the India A squad on Tuesday, May 13, which will play against England Lions in the United Kingdom. It is understood that the Indian selectors met in Mumbai on May 6 - just prior to Rohit Sharma’s announcement to retire from Test cricket - and over there, the finalisation of the India A squad for the England tour might have already happened.
Notably, before the Indian senior team begins its highly anticipated five-match Test series against England away from home, the India A team will be playing two four-day matches versus England Lions, with the first one beginning on May 30, while the second one is scheduled to start on June 6. Following that, India A team will play against their senior compatriots in a practice match from June 13 onwards, providing them the final preparation before the Test series.
Abhimanyu Easwaran is the frontrunner to be the captain of the India A team
As per the report published in Cricbuzz, Abhimanyu Easwaran is the frontrunner to be the captain of the India A team on the England tour, owing to his exceptional performances on the Indian domestic scene for years. Some of the top players who could be on the flight to the United Kingdom, include names like Tanush Kotian, Baba Indrajith, Akash Deep, Karun Nair, Mukesh Kumar, and Yash Dayal, among others.
The likes of Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy might become the part of India A team for the two matches against England Lions before joining the India senior team for the match versus them. With the retirement of Rohit Sharma, it will be quite interesting to see as to which batter will open for India against England in the five-match Test series alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The Indian squad for the tour to England, with the name of the new captain, is likely to get announced on May 23, just four weeks before the first Test begins on June 20.
