The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a strong India A squad for the upcoming warm-up games against England Lions on Saturday, January 6. Bengal cricketer Abhimanyu Easwarana will be leading a 13-member squad for the two-day warm-up match and the first four-day fixture starting on January 12.
Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium will host a two-day warm-up game and the first of three four-day matches. Apart from Easawaran, India A side boasts quality players Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan and Navdeep Saini. India A will be playing one two-day game and three multi-day fixtures against England ahead of the upcoming five-match Test series.
Easwaran, the 28-year-old top-order batter, was part of India's recent Tests against South Africa but didn't get a chance in the playing XI. Easwarana has been in and out of India's red-ball team for the last few years but is yet to make his international debut. Both Sarfaraz Khan and KS Bharat will be looking to make an impact against the England Lions as continue to knock on national doors.
India A Squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, KS Bharat (WK), Manav Suthar, Pulkit Narang, Navdeep Saini, Tushar Deshpande, Vidwath Kaverappa, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Akash Deep
England Lions Tour of India, 2024
1st match - 12th – 13th January, Narendra Modi Stadium Ground 'B', Ahmedabad
2nd match - 17th – 20th January, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Meanwhile, Easwaran led the India A team during the second warm-up games against South Africa A last month. Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan were also part of the squad while the wicketkeeper batter KS Bharat led the team in the first match.
A senior India side will host the Three Lions in the first Test match at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium starting on January 25.
