Sarfaraz Khan, Mohammed Shami Miss Out As India Announces Squad for South Africa A Test Matches
Rishabh Pant to lead India A against South Africa A in two four-day matches, with Sai Sudharsan as vice-captain as the team prepares for the senior Test series.
India A have named their squad for two four-day unofficial Tests against South Africa A starting October 30 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
Rishabh Pant will lead the side, marking his return after a foot injury sustained during the fourth Test against England earlier this year.
The series will also act as preparation for the main two-match Test series between India and South Africa, starting November 14.
Sai Sudharsan, India’s current Test No.3, has been named vice-captain. After some ups and downs in the England and West Indies series, Sudharsan will look to gain confidence and form in these four-day matches ahead of the senior series.
The squad for the first match is made up of several young and emerging players. This includes Ayush Mhatre, Tanush Kotian, Anshul Kamboj, Ayush Badoni, and others who are close to breaking into the national setup. These players will get valuable exposure in longer-format cricket.
The second match will feature more experienced players and Test regulars. KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep are part of this squad along with Pant and Sudharsan.
India A 1st Match Squad: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagdeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain.
India A 2nd Match Squad: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
