Ruturaj Gaikwad appointed captain as India A squad for Australia tour is announced

Chennai Super Kings' batter and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been appointed as the captain for India A's next assignment against Australia. The squad for the tour was announced on Monday, October 21.

Gaikwad was the captain of the India 'C' squad in the 2024 Duleep Trophy and had impressive results as they registered a win, a draw, and a loss. They narrowly missed out on a Duleep Trophy title as India 'A' beat them in their last game to seal their maiden title. However, Gaikwad earned praise for his captaincy style. He is also leading Maharashtra in the ongoing 2024 Ranji Trophy.

Bengal's Abhimanyu Easwaran has been appointed as the deputy of the India A side. He has been selected as one of the openers on this tour, with Sai Sudharsan also being selected. Ishan Kishan and Abishek Porel have been selected as keepers, with Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar and Tanush Kotian forming the bowling force

India A squad for the tour of Australia: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (WK), Abishek Porel (WK), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian

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India A to play two first-class games and an intrasquad contest in Australia

India A will be playing two first-class contests against Australia A. They will be also up against the Indian team that will be in Australia playing the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy. Their first match of the tour will be played at the Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay from October 31 to November 3. It will be followed by their second match from November 7 - 10 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Additionally, the India A squad will be playing against the Team India squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, which will serve as a warm-up game for the tour. The match will be played from November 15-17 at the WACA, Perth.