India 'A' Squad for England Tour Likely to be Announced Soon

The India A team for the England tour, which is scheduled to take place soon, is likely to be announced soon. There is excitement surrounding the team as the selectors are finalizing the names. The process of selection has been tough given the delay of the IPL and the necessity of picking players who are not part of the league or whose teams are no longer in playoff contention.

Abhimanyu Easwaran is regarded as one of the favorite contenders for the captaincy role and is set to captain the team. Easwaran has been doing well consistently and will be the top choice for the selectors. Other likely members of the squad include Tanush Kotian, Baba Indrajith, Akash Deep, and Karun Nair. Karun Nair's impressive show in the Ranji Trophy, for which he scored 863 runs at 53.93, puts him in the contention for selection. Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Reddy will also be part of the A team at the onset, but can be called up to the senior team later on.

The senior Indian team will be picked on May 23 and will have a new captain after Rohit Sharma's retirement from Test cricket. Shardul Thakur is likely to be included in the senior team. There is no clear news about Ishan Kishan's inclusion, as Rishabh Pant and Jurel appear to be the first choice for wicketkeeper positions. Another likely to miss out is Ricky Bhui, the highest scorer of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season. Shreyas Iyer is also not a definite choice, as he has not featured in the selectors' scheme of things in recent times, having been out of Test cricket for more than 15 months.

There is a chance of Mukesh Kumar being brought in as he has demonstrated a capability to bowl the ball, which can come in handy for English conditions. Yash Dayal is also in the radar because of his left-arm bowling, which can be preferred over Khaleel Ahmed by the selectors. While there is doubt over Sarfaraz Khan's selection since he has been on a long layoff due to injury, the selectors may prefer him to show his fitness in domestic matches.

India A will feature in two matches against England Lions and one against the senior India team during the tour. The first game runs from May 30 to June 2, the second from June 6 to June 9, and the third from June 13 to June 16. The series is perceived as a shadow tour of the senior team when preparing for the challenges ahead. As the cricket world awaits the announcement, fans are eager to see which young talents make it to the squad and how they perform on the challenging English pitches.