India A squad for England tour announced; Malayali cricketer included

MUMBAI: The India A squad for the four-day matches against England Lions has been announced. The two-match series is scheduled as a preparatory fixture ahead of the five-Test series against England. With senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli having retired from Test cricket, this series serves as a potential pathway for young players to break into the Indian team.

Malayali cricketer Karun Nair has been included in the squad led by Abhimanyu Easwaran. With Virat Kohli hanging up his boots in Test cricket, Karun is seen as a potential candidate for the crucial No. 4 spot in the Test team. Hence, Karun's performance against the Lions will be crucial in his career. Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has been named the vice-captain. Young Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is also part of the squad.

The first match will be held on May 30 in Canterbury, while the second match will take place on June 6 in Northampton. After the senior team arrives in England, an intra-squad match is scheduled for June 13. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will join the A team before the second match on June 6. Ishan Kishan and Shardul Thakur are also part of the squad.

India A squad for the England tour: Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal. Karun Nair. Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper, Vice-Captain), 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 and Harsh Dubey.