Under the leadership of Abhimanyu Easwaran, the India ‘A’ squad will have an important tour to England starting from May 30. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the India ‘A’ squad on Friday (May 16), which was mostly on expected lines, barring a couple of questionable decisions. It was surreal to see the likes of Shardul Thakur and Karun Nair get a deserving chance after their superb domestic performances.
From the previous squad, the likes of Abhishek Porel, Ricky Bhui, Yash Dayal, Baba Indrajith, and Navdeep Saini missed out. Devdutt Padikkal, who would’ve been selected, was ignored due to his recent injury. Having said that, the BCCI has made a couple of debatable calls, especially by ignoring Shreyas Iyer and Arshdeep Singh. Let’s discuss more about them below.
Cricket 10 mins Why veteran Jadeja is best candidate for India Test vice-captaincyWhy no Shreyas Iyer?
Considering that both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have been selected for the ‘A’ tour, the BCCI made the right call in allowing their Test regulars to feature on the preparatory tour. Similar should have been the case for Shreyas Iyer, who has been completely ignored. While the reports previously stated the same, it isn’t an ideal decision.
Iyer has been a revelation for India for some time now. He was harshly left out of BCCI’s central contract last time after having a wondrous ODI World Cup 2023. Iyer made a fantastic return in 2024 after he won the IPL as a leader for KKR. He followed it up with an extraordinary domestic campaign.
He made 480 runs at 68.5, including one double hundred at the Ranji Trophy and mustered 325 runs at an excellent SR of 131.58 and was dismissed just once at the Vijay Hazare. Iyer has been looking sensational, with his form continuing at the Champions Trophy and the IPL 2025.
His great form could’ve been used by the BCCI, who will need to complete a revamp post the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Great for Nair to be picked, but Iyer should’ve been given a chance too.
Cricket 10 mins Arshdeep vs Khaleel vs Dayal: 3-way southpaw battle for one spot in IND vs ENG tourArshdeep Singh was a must
Meanwhile, another Punjab Kings (PBKS) player who would’ve been an excellent choice is Arshdeep Singh. The left-armer could’ve been a cheat code in European conditions, as he loves to get the red cherry swing and seam. He was ignored in Australia, didn’t play a game at the Champions Trophy and has now been ignored again. Despite his experience of playing County Cricket, Arshdeep hasn’t been named in the ‘A’ squad, with Khaleel Ahmed preferred over him. Even Tushar Deshpande wasn’t needed.
Ruturaj Gaikwad wasn’t needed
Ruturaj Gaikwad proved to be lucky. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain is nursing an elbow injury that ruled him out of the IPL 2025 early in the season. Hence, he wasn’t among the conversation and it has come as a bit of a surprise that BCCI has included him.
Also, there are multiple top-order options in the squad, making Gaikwad’s case for a spot even more questionable. There’s captain Easwaran, who will open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. From the second game onwards, Gill and Sudharsan will join, leaving no space for Gaikwad. Also, his domestic performance weren’t as groundbreaking as others. He made the cut despite playing just three Ranji Trophy games, making 330 runs including just one hundred in six innings.
Cricket 10 mins Not Gautam Gambhir, but Hrishikesh Kanitkar to coach India A squad in EnglandIndia A squad for the England tour
Batters:Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz KhanAll-rounders:Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Harsh DubeyBowlers:Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Tushar DeshpandeNote: Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will join the squad ahead of the second match.
Weird vice-captaincy choice?
While veteran Easwaran is the leader of the pack, his deputy is Dhruv Jurel this time – a surprising move nonetheless. Jurel is indeed a Test regular but only when Rishabh Pant doesn’t play. A much more wiser choice could have been Yashasvi Jaiswal, who could’ve been benefitted from the role.
He’s a generational talent and will represent the nation for decades to come. Alongside Shubman Gill, Jaiswal will be the face and hence the BCCI shouldn’t miss a chance to give him some kind of leadership role when possible.
India A tour to England schedule
No.Day & Date (From)Day & Date (To)Time (IST)MatchVenue1Fri, 30-May-25Mon, 02-June-252:30 PM1st first-classCanterbury2Fri, 06-Jun-25Mon, 09-June-252:30 PM2nd first-classNorthampton3Fri, 13-Jun-25Mon, 16-June-252:30 PMIntra-squadBeckenhamWhy Gaikwad & why not Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh? Problems with India ‘A’ squad for England tour Inside Sport India.
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