The BCCI announced the India A squad for the upcoming four-day series against South Africa A, featuring Rishabh Pant as captain and Sai Sudharsan as vice-captain. The two matches will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru, starting October 30 and November 6 respectively.
The selection committee picked two separate India A squads for the multi-day games against South Africa A.
Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagdeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain.
Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
The two fixtures will both start at 9:30 AM at the BCCI COE in Bengaluru, scheduled from October 30 – November 2and November 6 – 9.
There’s a significant rotation between the two matches, with KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj joining for the second four-day game as part of their red-ball workload management.
The inclusion of senior India internationals Rahul and Siraj is aimed at giving them crucial long-format time before the upcoming home Test assignments.
The squad sees a blend of continuity and experimentation from the last unofficial Test series against Australia A in September 2025, where Shreyas Iyer had led the side.
Pant’s appointment marks his return to leadership duties, highlighting his growing readiness after a successful comeback in competitive cricket earlier this year.
India A claimed the two-match unofficial Test series 1-0 against Australia A in Lucknow last month.
The South Africa A series provides another opportunity for emerging talents such as Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, and Tanush Kotian to impress selectors, while giving senior names like Rahul, Pant, and Siraj valuable long-format preparation.
With the series taking place at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, conditions are expected to assist both seam and spin, offering a balanced test for the touring South Africans.
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Date | Match | Venue | Time (Local) | Time (GMT) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nov 14 (Fri) – Nov 18 (Tue) | 1st Test | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 9:30 AM | 04:00 AM GMT |
Nov 22 (Sat) – Nov 26 (Wed) | 2nd Test | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 9:30 AM | 04:00 AM GMT |
Nov 30 (Sun) | 1st ODI | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | 1:30 PM | 08:00 AM GMT |
Dec 03 (Wed) | 2nd ODI | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | 1:30 PM | 08:00 AM GMT |
Dec 06 (Sat) | 3rd ODI | ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam | 1:30 PM | 08:00 AM GMT |
Dec 09 (Tue) | 1st T20I | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
Dec 11 (Thu) | 2nd T20I | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
Dec 14 (Sun) | 3rd T20I | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
Dec 17 (Wed) | 4th T20I | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
Dec 19 (Fri) | 5th T20I | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
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