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Representing India A in the upcoming series against Australia A is a crucial step for players eyeing a spot in the senior national team, head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar said on Monday.
The Shreyas Iyer-led side will host Australia A in two four-day games at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, starting Tuesday.
“India A games are the step before playing for the senior team,” Kanitkar said on the eve of the match. “It gives the team international exposure and helps their development as well.”
11 of the 15 players selected — including Iyer, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, Tanush Kotian, N. Jagadeesan, Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Ayush Badoni, Khaleel Ahmed, and Yash Thakur — featured in the recently held Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru for their respective zones.
“This is the next step for them to do well and try for a place in the Indian team. This is ideal because you get to play an international side. Australia A players here too are trying to get into their senior side. So it’ll be a hard-fought match,” Kanitkar said.
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Opener Easwaran has been on multiple Test tours with the senior team but is yet to make his debut. Kanitkar said the 30-year-old is in a good space and motivated to take up the challenge.
“He’s an experienced player — has led Bengal and played a lot of senior games. So, we don’t have to tell him a lot because he knows how cricket is played, what to do when you don’t get chances. The good thing is he’s very motivated to push himself to perform and grab the chance whenever he gets the opportunity. He’s mentally strong and prepared,” he said.
Much like how the senior side has been shaping up under head coach Gautam Gambhir, the A squad too has several all-rounders, giving the playing XI depth and balance.
“Our spinners are definitely our strength. However, in our team, we have a good balance of both pace and spin, so we can play whatever the conditions and pitch demand. Having all-rounders is definitely an advantage to balance things out since they can do both. Priority is to balance the team combination,” Kanitkar said.
Published on Sep 15, 2025
