Shubman Gill, India’s new Test captain, will skip the upcoming unofficial “Test” against England Lions, scheduled for Northampton on June 6. Both Gill and his Gujarat Titans teammate, B Sai Sudharsan, were initially set to join India A for the match. However, it has since been confirmed they will travel with the main squad, arriving in England on June 6, to prepare for the five-Test series against England, which begins in Leeds on June 20.
In contrast, KL Rahul will bolster India A’s ranks for the Northampton match. He is slated to join the squad on Tuesday, offering him crucial match practice ahead of the Test series.
India A will also welcome Akash Deep’s return to fitness. The fast bowler, sidelined by a back injury post the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, was declared fit in April and participated in IPL 2025 for the Lucknow Super Giants. Although present in Canterbury for the first England Lions game, he primarily trained with the squad, focusing on short bowling sessions during breaks.
The initial match in Canterbury concluded in a draw on a rather docile pitch that proved challenging for bowlers. Standout performances from India A included a double-century from Karun Nair, alongside fifties from Dhruv Jurel (who managed two half-centuries), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
In the bowling department, both Reddy and Shardul Thakur—another seam-bowling allrounder in the Test squad—showcased their skills, bowling 14.5 and 28 overs, respectively. More will be expected from them in the forthcoming match against England Lions.
Following the Northampton fixture, India will engage in an intra-squad game at Beckenham as final preparation before the squad relocates to Leeds. This match is likely to occur behind closed doors, allowing the team to fine-tune strategies ahead of the crucial series against England.
Nagraj Gollapudi is the news editor at ESPNcricinfo.
