Talented cricketer Yash Dhull, who was overlooked for the Duleep Trophy after a poor first-class season, received a significant boost as he was appointed as the captain of the India A team for the Emerging Asia Cup One Day tournament in Sri Lanka from July 13 to 23.
Youthful India A Squad
The India A team primarily consists of U-23 players, as required for the Emerging tournaments. Punjab Ranji captain Abhishek Sharma will serve as Dhull's deputy in the squad. All the selected players have represented their senior state team in either of the three formats, with some, like Prabhsimran Singh, already achieving success in the IPL.
The wicketkeeping duties will be shared by Prabhsimran Singh and Dhruv Jurel, who impressed as a finisher while playing as an 'Impact Player' for the Rajasthan Royals. Harshit Rana, a pace-bowling all-rounder from Delhi who impressed in the IPL, is another promising pick. He recently scored his maiden first-class century during his Duleep Trophy debut.
Supporting Long-Term Talent and Potential
Despite Yash Dhull's poor recent performance in domestic cricket, the senior selection committee took into account his long-term talent and potential. They wanted to ensure that the talented 20-year-old batter from Delhi Capitals didn't disappear from the national selection radar. This approach was also applied to Riyan Parag of Assam, who had a mixed IPL season but is still recognized for his talent.
The selectors have also rewarded impressive domestic performers, including Nikin Jose from Kerala, Nishant Sindhu from Haryana, Pradosh Ranjan Paul from Tamil Nadu, and the highly exciting talent B Sai Sudharsan.
Pace Bowlers with Raw Speed
The focus on fast bowlers has been their ability to generate pace, with bowlers who can consistently touch speeds of 135 clicks and above. Harshit Rana, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya from Lucknow Super Giants, Akash Singh from Jharkhand representing CSK, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar from Maharashtra have made the cut.
Tournament Format and Schedule
India A is placed in Group B along with Nepal, UAE A, and Pakistan A. Group A consists of Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A, Afghanistan A, and Oman A. Nepal will field their senior team for the tournament.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The first semi-final will feature the Group A topper against the second-placed team from Group B, while the second semi-final will be contested between the Group B topper and the second-placed team from Group A on July 21.
The final is scheduled for July 23.
India A squad: Sai Sudharsan, Abhishek Sharma (VC), Nikin Jose, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Yash Dhull (C), Riyan Parag, Nishant Sindhu, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Manav Suthar, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya, Harshit Rana, Akash Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Standby list of players: Harsh Dubey, Nehal Wadhera, Snell Patel, Mohit Redkar
Coaching Staff: Sitanshu Kotak (Head Coach), Sairaj Bahutule (Bowling Coach), Munish Bali (Fielding Coach).
Fixtures:
Jul 13: India A vs UAE A
Jul 15: India A vs Pakistan A
Jul 18: India A vs Nepal
Jul 21: Two Semi-final
July 23: Final.
