Dhruv Jurel named India A captain for Sri Lanka tour; maiden call-up for Auqib Nabi

Dhruv Jurel will captain the India A squad for two multi-day matches in Sri Lanka starting June 25. The squad features vice-captain Devdutt Padikkal and a maiden call-up for Jammu & Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy-winning star bowler, Auqib Nabi

New Delhi: Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has been named captain of the India A squad for the upcoming two multi-day matches in Sri Lanka, while Jammu & Kashmir fast-bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi has earned his maiden call-up to the setup.

The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced the squad on Saturday, with Devdutt Padikkal appointed as vice-captain. India A will play two four-day fixtures against Sri Lanka A from June 25 to July 5 in Galle, ahead of the senior Test team’s visit to the country for a two-match World Test Championship series in August.

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The team’s priority will be to acclimatize to spin-friendly conditions and adapt to the red Kookaburra ball. Alongside Jurel and Padikkal, the batting lineup features Sai Sudharsan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and N Jagadeesan. Vidarbha batter Aman Mokhade and Andhra’s Shaik Rasheed have also earned their maiden call-ups to the India A squad.

The pace attack comprises Nabi, Yash Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, and Gurnoor Brar, who recently received a call-up to the Test team for the ongoing one-off match against Afghanistan. Nabi’s selection is significant; he scalped 60 wickets to emerge as the highest wicket-taker while guiding Jammu & Kashmir to their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph earlier this year.

Leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari, off-spinner Saransh Jain, and all-rounder Ayush Badoni will handle the spin duties. Notably, Nabi and Ansari served as net bowlers for the senior Indian team to help them prepare for the ongoing Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. Gaikwad, Badoni, Thakur, and Kamboj are already in Sri Lanka, as India A is scheduled to play a 50-over tri-series starting June 9 in Dambulla.

India A squad for multi-day games in Sri Lanka: Dhruv Jurel (c), Devdutt Padikkal (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Ayush Pandey, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Saransh Jain, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Yash Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, N Jagadeesan, Aman Mokhade, Shaik Rasheed, Zeeshan Ansari.