India A are all set to face the England Lions in their first unofficial Test on 30 May. While it’s common for India A to play matches in the host country ahead of an overseas tour, these fixtures carry added significance this time, with attention firmly on the next generation of Indian players following the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the Test cricket.
Two regulars from the senior Test team — Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy — will feature in the match. The side will be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, and many others named in the 18-member India squad for the England tour are also part of this India A lineup, including Karun Nair, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, and Dhruv Jurel.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans batters Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill could join the India A squad after the first unofficial Test.
With several names in the reckoning to take Virat Kohli’s coveted No. 4 spot, Karun Nair will be keen to strengthen his case by piling on the runs, much like he has in the domestic circuit.
It’s also an important opportunity for Shardul Thakur to make a case for his inclusion in the India XI, potentially ahead of other all-rounders like Reddy or even Ravindra Jadeja.
Squads for India A vs England Lions match:
India A: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey.
England Lions: James Rew (captain), Farhan Ahmed, Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, Rocky Flintoff, Emilio Gay, Tom Haines, George Hill, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Dan Mousley, Ajeet Singh Dale, Chris Woakes, Max Holden.
When and where to watch India A vs England Lions match?
The India A vs England Lions 1st unofficial Test match will be played from 30 May to 2 June at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury. The match will be broadcast from 11AM local time i.e. 3:30PM India Time.
Unfortunately, the unofficial Test will not be available to watch in India and will only be available to stream via the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) website and app.
