Gill, Jaiswal included in robust India A lineup set for England tour.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal will have additional preparation time for the Test series against England, having been included in a formidable India A squad.
Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has been selected for both of India A’s four-day matches against the England Lions, scheduled to begin on May 30 and June 6. Shubman Gill, a top contender to take over as Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, will join the squad for the second fixture at Northampton.
Out of the 20-member India A squad, nine players have already represented India in Test cricket. These include wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, and fast bowlers Akash Deep and Harshit Rana, all of whom featured in India’s recent Test series in Australia.
Also named in the squad are Sarfaraz Khan, who hit three half-centuries during his debut Test series against England last year; experienced all-rounder Shardul Thakur; aggressive left-hander Ishan Kishan; and middle-order batter Karun Nair. Nair, who once scored an unbeaten 303 against England in 2016, has county experience with Northamptonshire but was dropped after just six Tests. He is hoping this tour reignites his Test career.
Promising left-hander Sai Sudharsan, who impressed in the IPL by scoring 509 runs in 11 games for Gujarat Titans, is also part of the squad and may be in line for a Test debut.
The upcoming five-match Test series between England and India kicks off on June 20 at Headingley. It marks India’s first Test series without the recently retired Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
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Gill’s track record in England includes three Tests – one against England in 2022 and two World Test Championship finals (2021 vs New Zealand and 2023 vs Australia) – where he has managed just 88 runs at an average of 14.66. In contrast, Jaiswal boasts an impressive average of 52.88 from his first 19 Tests, with two double centuries against England earlier this year in India. However, his only experience in English conditions was during a white-ball Under-19 tour back in 2019.
England’s only competitive warm-up for the India series is a solitary Test match against Zimbabwe, beginning this Thursday.
India A Squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey, and (for second match only) Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.