Jaiswal, Gaikwad named in Easwaran-led India 'A' squad for England tour

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad headline a formidable India 'A' squad announced by the BCCI for the upcoming tour of England. Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead the side, with reinforcements in the form of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill joining in for the second match. The lineup also includes notable names like Karun Nair, Tanush Kotian, Nitish Reddy, and Akash Deep. Shardul Thakur has earned a call-up thanks to consistent performances in the domestic circuit, while Sarfaraz Khan returns from injury to secure a spot. The pace unit features a solid mix of experience and form, with Thakur, Akash Deep, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Tushar Deshpande, Harshit Rana, and Mukesh Kumar forming the core attack. Behind the stumps, Dhruv Jurel will serve as vice-captain, with Ishan Kishan included as the second wicketkeeper. The spin department includes Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey alongside Kotian, with Dubey coming off a stellar Ranji Trophy season where he was named Player of the Tournament. Gaikwad’s return signals good progress in his recovery from the elbow injury that sidelined him during IPL 2025 with Chennai Super Kings. Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal, who recently suffered a hamstring injury, has been left out despite his previous inclusion in the Australia 'A' tour last winter. Other absentees from that tour include Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Abishek Porel, Yash Dayal, and Navdeep Saini. The tour offers valuable preparation in English conditions, particularly for players like Jaiswal and Reddy, whose IPL franchises—Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad—are no longer in contention. With the IPL final set for June 3 and the first India 'A' match kicking off on May 30 against the England Lions, availability won’t be an issue for most. However, if the Gujarat Titans reach the final, Sudharsan and Gill will face a tight turnaround, with the second game beginning on June 6. The team will also play a third fixture against the senior Indian side as a prelude to the high-profile five-Test series against England.