India A make wholesale changes, Sarfaraz Khan axed for KL Rahul, skipper Easwaran at No. 3

KL Rahul was not part of the initial India A squad, but requested the BCCI to be included, to get some match time.

After a solid showing in the 1st unofficial Test against England Lions, India A decided to make a few changes in their playing XI for the 2nd match, starting on Friday. With India batter KL Rahul coming in, skipper of the side, Abhimanyu Easwaran came down a spot to No.3, while the former was picked as the opener along with Yashasvi Jaiswal.

KL Rahul Included as Opener

Despite a 90-odd in Canterbury, the management decided to get rid of Sarfaraz Khan, while Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Shardul Thakaur retained their spots in the side. One other glaring change was, spinner Harsh Dubey was missing, while all-rounder Tanush Kotian was included in the team.

Bowling Line-up Changed

As far as the team pacers are concerned, Mukesh Kumar made way for Khaleel Ahmed, who impressed in the IPL 2025. Harshit Rana was also let go from the team, while Tushar Deshpande was preferred for this encounter. The Indian management has seemed to make a statement, that Rahul would be their designated opener for the tour, while Karun Nair could follow at No.3 or No. 4.

India A (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran(c), Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Anshul Kamboj, Tushar Deshpande, Khaleel Ahmed