Key Takeaways From India A Squad for Australia A Series

The selectors have announced the India A squad for the upcoming home series against Australia A, which will feature two multi-day matches and three one-day games in Puducherry. The series will give several players an opportunity to push their case for a place in the senior Indian team.

The multi-day matches will be played from September 22 to October 2, while the three one-day games will begin on October 6. There are several notable names included in both squads.

Here are key takeaways from India A squad for Australia A series across both formats.

Big boost as Hardik Pandya included in India A squad

Hardik Pandya has been included in the India A squad for the three one-day matches against Australia A in Puducherry from October 6 to 11, subject to fitness clearance. The all-rounder last played during IPL 2026 and has since been recovering at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Hardik missed part of IPL 2026 due to back spasms and later suffered a leg strain while preparing for the ODI series against Afghanistan. He has not played an ODI since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025. He will be important for India’s ODI World Cup 2027 plans, so his fitness will be a major focus. The Australia A series can help him return to 50 overs cricket and get back into rhythm.

Ruturaj Gaikwad gets another opportunity to strengthen his ODI case

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named captain of the India A squad for one-day series, giving him another important opportunity ahead of the ODI World Cup 2027. He last played an ODI in 2025 against South Africa and in that series he scored a century.

In the recent tri-series in Sri Lanka earlier this year, he scored 274 runs at an average of 54.80. He will be looking for a strong performance in the series, as there is huge competition for places in the ODI team setup.

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Rajat Patidar needs a strong India A series

Rajat Patidar’s inclusion in the India A one-day squad shows that he remains an option for the selectors in limited overs cricket.

He has played only one ODI for India, which came way back in 2023. With strong competition for places in the middle-order, Patidar will need to score big against Australia A to strengthen his case.

Devdutt Padikkal gains an edge in India No. 3 battle in the test setup

Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan are both in the mix for the No. 3 spot in India’s Test team. Sudharsan’s injury gave Padikkal an opportunity in the Sri Lanka series, and he made full use of it with two centuries in three innings.

Padikkal has now been named captain of the India A multi-day side, while Sudharsan has been made his deputy, showing that both remain in the selectors plans. However, after his recent performances and leadership role, Padikkal appears to have a slight edge at the moment.

Both players have also been selected in the India A one-day squad for the Australia A series. Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the side, with Padikkal named as his deputy, while Sudharsan is also part of the squad. The selectors could also be looking at both batters as options for limited overs cricket.

Sarfaraz Khan misses out on India A squad

Sarfaraz Khan has not been picked in either the multi-day or one-day India A squad for the Australia A series. He was recently brought into India’s Test squad as a replacement for Sai Sudharsan after the latter was ruled out due to injury.

India A squad for Australia A series

India A squad for Multi-day series: Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Devdutt Padikkal [C], Sai Sudharsan [VC], Yash Rathod, Shaik Rasheed, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Anshul Kamboj, Praful Hinge, N Jagadeesan [WK], Nachiket Bhute, V Vyshak*.

India A squad for One-day series: Priyansh Arya, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal [VC], Ruturaj Gaikwad [C], Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya*, Prabhsimran Singh [WK], Gurjapneet Singh, Yash Thakur.

Note: *Subject to fitness clearance

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