India A will face England Lions in unofficial Tests, ahead of India’s main tour of England next month. Here are all the updates on the squad announcement, expected to take place on Tuesday (May 13).
The 2025 England Test tour, starting in June, will mark India’s beginning of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The last time they played in the format, India endured a tough Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign, which cost them a spot in the WTC final for the first time.
There have been three huge retirements in the last six months: R Ashwin in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, captain Rohit Sharma a few days back, and the latest being Virat Kohli, who ended as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the format.
Also read: Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket: His stellar career in numbers
That leaves India with ample questions to answer ahead of their UK tour. The first and foremost: Who will replace Rohit as captain? With Kohli retired, the No. 4 spot is also up for grabs, another pressing concern for the team.
All this uncertainty increases the importance of the shadow tour India A are scheduled to go on, the squad for which is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
Live updates: India A squad announcement
4 hours ago
Report: Shardul, Karun Nair likely to be named in ‘A’ side
Karun Nair, who hasn’t played for India since 2017, could make a comeback to the ‘A’ side, claimed Cricbuzz. The report also suggests that Shardul Thakur, who hasn’t played since India’s 2023 South Africa tour, could make a Test comeback.
4 hours ago
India A and senior squads set to overlap
According to RevSportz, the India A squad will feature some senior players to help them acclimatise to English conditions ahead of the main tour.
5 hours ago
Easwaran likely to be handed captaincy
The Bengal opener is the prime candidate to captain India A against England Lions, according to the Cricbuzz report.
4 hours ago
Ruturaj Gaikwad to miss out
Ruturaj Gaikwad captained India A when they played against Australia A last time before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, he is recovering from an elbow injury sustained in IPL 2025 and is expected to miss the England Lions tour.
5 hours ago
The big guns have retired
With the retirement of big guns like R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the unofficial Tests could give vital game time for the senior as well as fringe players ahead of the main tour.
5 hours ago
India A squad likely to be announced on May 13
According to a Cricbuzz report, the BCCI is set to name an India A squad to face England Lions by May 13, serving as a shadow tour for several senior players.
5 hours ago
India A set to play Lions for England tour
India A are set to play two four-day games against England Lions, starting May 30. They will then play one game against the senior India side.
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