The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Selection Committee has announced the India A squads for the upcoming home series against Australia A. The bilateral series will feature two multi-day fixtures followed by a three-match One-Day series, with all matches set to take place in Puducherry. The biggest takeaway from the selection is the inclusion of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the One-Day squad, though he would need to prove his fitness before being named in the playing XI.
Hardik’s role in the 50-over side will be under intense scrutiny as selectors monitor his dynamic impact with both bat and ball. India A Multi-day squad: Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Devdutt Padikkal [C], Sai Sudharsan [VC], Yash Rathod, Shaik Rasheed, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Shams Mulani , Tanush Kotian , Tushar Deshpande , Anshul Kamboj , Praful Hinge , N Jagadeesan [WK], Nachiket Bhute , V Vyshak* India A One-Day squad: Priyansh Arya , Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal [VC], Ruturaj Gaikwad [C], Rajat Patidar , Kumar Kushagra [WK], Nishant Sindhu , Vipraj Nigam , Arshin Kulkarni , Arshad Khan , Naman Dhir , Hardik Pandya*, Prabhsimran Singh [WK], Gurjapneet Singh , Yash Thakur The multi-day series will begin on September 22 while the One-Day assignment is scheduled to start on October 06.
In a release, the BCCI said: “The Men’s Selection Committee has selected the India A squad for the upcoming home series against Australia A, comprising two multi-day matches and three one-day games in Puducherry. Having largely focused on white-ball cricket and workload management in recent years, Hardik’s presence in the India A setup provides him with valuable match practice against quality opposition, especially as the senior India team begins preparations for next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa. The all-rounder’s inclusion marks a crucial step in assessing his fitness and match readiness for upcoming international assignments.
