India A’s upcoming red-ball assignment against Australia A will see a familiar face in the dugout. Former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi, currently assistant coach and spin-bowling coach at IPL franchise Punjab Kings, has been appointed as India A’s bowling coach for the five-match series later this month. As reported by Times of India, Joshi’s role is restricted to this tour, which begins on September 16.
The 54-year-old brings with him plenty of pedigree. A stalwart of Karnataka cricket, Joshi played 15 Tests and 69 ODIs for India between 1996 and 2002, collecting 110 wickets along the way. His coaching résumé is equally expansive. His stints involve Bangladesh’s national team, Uttar Pradesh on the domestic circuit, and more recently Punjab Kings in the IPL under Ricky Ponting. PBKS reached the finals of an IPL for the first time this year after a decade. He also served as a national selector from 2020 to early 2023.
Joining Joshi on the support staff is Atul Ranade, Mumbai’s current assistant coach, who has been named fielding coach for the series. Ranade’s stock has risen rapidly in domestic coaching circles, having played a part in Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy win earlier this year. Former India allrounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar continues as head coach of the India A setup.
Shreyas Iyer to lead India A
The cricket, of course, takes centre stage. Shreyas Iyer will captain India A in two four-day matches against Australia A at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium (September 16 and 23), followed by three one-dayers in Kanpur (September 30, October 3 and 5).
The squad has a mix of deserving and emerging talent. KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj will link up for the second fixture, while Dhruv Jurel has been named vice-captain and wicketkeeper. Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, back from a knee injury, returns to the fold, as does Prasidh Krishna after a string of fitness battles.
In-form youngsters like Sai Sudharsan, Ayush Badoni and Devdutt Padikkal bolster the batting, while the seam department is led by Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Thakur and Gurnoor Brar. The spin unit features Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Tanush Kotian. Anshul Kamboj, who played a Test in England, has been unfortunately overlooked. Also, Sarfaraz Khan isn’t part of the series as well, quite possibly due to his injury.
India A squad vs Australia A
- Shreyas Iyer (capt)
- Abhimanyu Easwaran
- N Jagadeesan (wk)
- Sai Sudharsan
- Dhruv Jurel (vice-capt, wk)
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Harsh Dubey
- Ayush Badoni
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Tanush Kotian
- Prasidh Krishna
- Gurnoor Brar
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Manav Suthar
- Yash Thakur
- KL Rahul*
- Mohammed Siraj*
*Available only for the second match
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