India's preparations for their England red-ball tour took an unexpected turn as Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are reportedly ruled out of the second four-day game between India A and England Lions.
The match, scheduled to begin on June 6 in Northampton, gives an opportunity to several players eyeing a spot in the senior Test squad.
Both these players were expected to feature in the second fixture of the series between India A and England Lions. However, they will now head to England along with the main squad on June 6 with reports suggesting that the duo needs a short break after their Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) stint with Gujarat Titans (GT) that ended on May 30.
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Shubman Gill, Sai Sudarsan Likely to Miss India A Game; KL Rahul Set for Return in Northampton
Shubman Gill, recently appointed as India's Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, and his Gujarat Titans teammate Sai Sudharsan were initially expected to join the India A squad for the second match of the series versus England Lions. However, they have opted to remain in India. They have taken a short break following the conclusion of a gruelling IPL season.
In their absence, KL Rahul is anticipated to join the India A squad for the Northampton match on Tuesday. Rahul, who is a likely starter in the India playing XI, is expected to use this opportunity to get some game time ahead of the senior team's Test series against England, starting June 20.
In other news, Akash Deep will be in contention for selection for the second India A fixture. The pacer had been sidelined for a stretch after picking up a back injury following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year in Australia.
He returned to action during the IPL 2025, turning up for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after being declared fit in April. Though part of the squad in Canterbury for the first unofficial Test against England Lions, Akash Deep did not feature in the playing XI. However, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, he bowled in short spells during intervals and net sessions across the four days.
India A vs England Lions First Unofficial Test Ends in a Draw
The opening four-day match between the England Lions and India A wrapped up on Monday, ending in a draw. The result was expected because of the docile pitch that offered little to the bowlers.
There were a few standout performances with the bat, especially from members of the senior Test squad. Karun Nair, promoted to No. 3, made the most of the opportunity with an astonishing double-hundred in the first innings. Dhruv Jurel continued to impress in red-ball cricket, compiling two half-centuries in the game.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Nitish Kumar Reddy scored fifties in the second innings, giving the visiting side some momentum heading into the next match.
Mukesh Kumar and Shardul Thakur did well with the ball and bagged three and two wickets respectively.
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