BCCI has announced the India A squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa A, set to be played at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot from November 13 to 19.
Tilak Varma will lead the team, with Ruturaj Gaikwad named vice-captain. Gaikwad returns after a strong domestic season, while Shreyas Iyer, who captained the last India A series against Australia A, is out with an injury sustained in Sydney.
Ishan Kishan has earned a place in the 14-member squad after performing well in the Ranji Trophy for Jharkhand. The squad also features T20 regulars Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana.
Young talents Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, and Prabhsimran Singh have been retained from the Australia A series, signalling the selectors’ continued faith in emerging players.
However, fans remain divided over Ruturaj Gaikwad’s appointment as vice-captain. While many welcomed his inclusion, others called it a “bonus reward,” questioning why consistent performers like Sarfaraz Khan were ignored for both the ODI and Test squads.
India A Squad: Tilak Varma (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Prabhsimran Singh (wk).
