Kolkata : The BCCI Men’s Selection Committee has announced the India A squads for the upcoming home series against Australia A in Puducherry. The series will feature two multi-day matches followed by three one-day games, with the first multi-day match scheduled from September 22 to 25.
Devdutt Padikkal has been named captain of the multi-day side, with Sai Sudharsan as his deputy. The squad also includes promising batters Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod and Shaik Rasheed, while Kumar Kushagra and N Jagadeesan are the two wicketkeeping options.
Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande and Anshul Kamboj are among the other notable names in the multi-day squad.
For the one-day series, Ruturaj Gaikwad will captain the side, with Padikkal serving as vice-captain. Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Priyansh Arya, Nishant Sindhu, Arshin Kulkarni and Naman Dhir are also part of the squad.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been included in the one-day squad, subject to fitness clearance. V Vyshak, also named in the multi-day squad, is subject to fitness clearance.
Hardik has been out of action since May 2026, having last played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He missed part of Mumbai Indians’ IPL campaign with back spasms, and suffered a leg strain while training at the CoE in the lead-up to the ODI series against Afghanistan in June, forcing him to miss it. Hardik hasn’t played ODIs since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025, having rested from the format in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in February-March 2026. He has been back in India’s 50-overs plans since the end of that tournament, with an ODI World Cup coming up in October-November 2027, but fitness issues have kept him out of action.India will hope Hardik clears his fitness assessment ahead of the Australia A series, and begins the process of slotting back into 50-overs rhythm. He is seen as a key player in India’s World Cup plans, as their most accomplished seam-bowling allrounder, particularly in Southern African conditions.
The all-rounder has been training at the BCCI COE and has missed all subsequent international assignments, including India’s tours of Ireland and England.
The two multi-day matches will be played from September 22-25 and September 29-October 2, while the three one-day games are scheduled for October 6, 9 and 11, all in Puducherry.
SQUADS –
India A Multi-day squad: 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 One-Day squad: 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.
* Subject to fitness.
