These players have been on the senior team focus for quite a while
India will begin their preparations for the next big quest against England in June with a shadow tour of India A reserves. If the reports are to be believed, senior team head coach Gautam Gambhir himself will accompany this side in the unofficial Tests against England Lions. This is a big opportunity for many players to impress the coach, who has made some bold choices that contributed to the recent Champions Trophy 2025 victory.
As the Indian Test team looks to find its mojo back after a destabilising 1-3 loss in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, we look at India A players who can make their way into the final squad for the five-match series against England.
The Assam allrounder has been under the senior team radar for the past few years. The 2018 Under 19 World Cup winner has become a fixture in the Indian Premier League with Rajasthan Royals. The 23-year-old has been earmarked as a future white-ball star, but he is a capable batter in the whites as well. Parag, who is currently Assam’s captain, has scored 2,042 runs from 58 First-Class innings which includes appearances in the Duleep Trophy.
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The youngster has also scored over 700 runs at an average of 40-plus in the last two seasons of Ranji Trophy despite limited appearances. He is a good fit for the middle-order if he can do well in the seaming conditions in England.
The Rajasthan pacer was supposed to be the future of Indian pace attack back in 2018 when he made his ODI and T20I debuts. But the left-armer was out of favour for over five years before making his case for India selection with his domestic exploits. He had picked up nine wickets from two matches in the Duleep Trophy 2024 which earned him a place in the shadow tour of Australia where he played one unofficial Test and picked up two wickets.
Even though he wasn’t roped into the final squad, Khaleel returned to domestic cricket to put in consistent performances. Despite playing only four matches in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, Khaleel picked up 16 wickets at an average of 21, including a sensational 5-37 in the group stages against eventual winners Vidarbha.
At 23, Sai Sudharsan is already a key member of the Tamil Nadu team across all three formats and a vital part of Gujarat Titans in the IPL. The talented left-hander averages a healthy 40 in the First-Class cricket which include an appearance in the Irani Cup, a hundred against Australia A and a ton in the Duleep Trophy. Sudharsan can play in the top 4 depending on the situation and has the focused patience to play long innings. His recent return in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal from an injury is a good sign for India who are looking to revitalise their batting order after the Border Gavaskar Trophy debacle.
The Madhya Pradesh and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain has established himself as a good fit for all formats without much change in his batting approach over the past few years. The right-hander has the ability to switch gears at will, which he showcased in the Ranji Trophy with tallies of 658, 565 and 529 in his last three seasons.
His swashbuckling performances for the state team made him a regular within in the India A set up and also got him chance to play three Tests for India last year. Patidar can bat anywhere between No.3 and No.7 and possesses the skillset to flip the momentum of the game within an hour.
One of the most consistent performers in Karnataka’s impressive pace battery, Kaverappa was rewarded with a unique fast-bowling contract by the BCCI last year which allows him to train at the NCA without any recommendation from the state association. Kaverappa was in superb form in red-ball cricket last year with 25 wickets from just five matches in the Ranji Trophy and earned a place in the Duleep Trophy 2024.
Kaverappa has also featured in the India A tour of South Africa and the series against England Lions in January. The 26-year-old, much like state teammate Prasidh Krishna, doesn’t offer raw pace but has accuracy, seam movement and the ability to swing the ball which have resulted in 82 First-Class wickets from 43 innings at an average of 21.
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