Dhruv Jurel to lead India A in Sri Lanka, Auqib Nabi earns maiden call-up

India A will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel in their upcoming two multi-day matches against Sri Lanka A, with the squad also featuring a number of fresh faces and standout domestic performers.

The selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, announced the squad on Saturday. Devdutt Padikkal has been named vice-captain for the red-ball tour, which will run from June 25 to July 5 in Galle.

One of the major talking points is the maiden India A call-up for Jammu & Kashmir fast-bowling all-rounder Auqib Nabi, rewarded after a breakthrough domestic season. India A will also include batters like Sai Sudharsan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and N Jagadeesan, while Aman Mokhade and Shaik Rasheed also receive their first India A selections.

The pace attack features Auqib Nabi alongside Yash Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, and Gurnoor Brar, who has recently been in and around senior national setups. Nabi’s selection comes after a standout Ranji Trophy season where he picked up 60 wickets and played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s historic title win.

Spin duties will be handled by Zeeshan Ansari and Saransh Jain, along with all-rounder Ayush Badoni. Notably, Zeeshan and Nabi have also been involved as net bowlers with the senior India side recently, as part of preparations for the ongoing red-ball assignments.

Several players, including Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Badoni, Yash Thakur, and Anshul Kamboj, are already in Sri Lanka as part of India A’s ongoing limited-overs tri-series, with the red-ball fixtures now set to follow.

The tour is seen as a key step for India’s emerging red-ball talent, especially with challenging spin-friendly conditions expected in Galle.

India A squad for multi-day games in Sri Lanka: Dhruv Jurel (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Ayush Badoni, Devdutt Padikkal (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Saransh Jain, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Yash Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, N Jagadeesan, Aman Mokhade, Shaik Rasheed, and Zeeshan Ansari