BCCI takes STRICT call for England Tests, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma to play India A games, Karun Nair to be in squad

India’s ‘A’ team will play a series of matches in May and June as preparation for their upcoming five-Test series against England.

New Delhi: To prepare for the upcoming five-Test series against England in June, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has selected several key Indian Test players for a preparatory ‘A’ team tour. This ‘A’ team will play two four-day matches against the England Lions in May/June.

India’s senior cricket team will commence their campaign on June 20th at Headingley. Two warm-up matches for India A will precede the series, beginning May 30th. This series marks the start of the 2025/27 World Test Championship cycle.

“The first four-day match will be hosted at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury from May 30. The second match is scheduled to begin a week later on June 6 at the County Ground in Northampton,” the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.

Several Indian Test players, currently contracted to IPL franchises, will participate in tour matches with the India ‘A’ team, potentially impacting their schedules given the proximity of the IPL 2025 playoffs (May 20th, 21st, 23rd, and final on May 25th).

Due to recent poor performances in Test cricket, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may be selected for India A. Kohli’s recent scores have been underwhelming, totaling only 164 runs across three series since September, including a meager 31 in Australia. Sharma, while scoring a century in Perth, averaged a low 23.75 in the Australia series.

India’s experienced batter, Nair, may join the India A team for their upcoming matches against the Lions. His strong domestic season, highlighted by leading the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in runs and placing fourth in the Ranji Trophy with 863 runs (an average of 54, including four centuries and two fifties), makes him a strong candidate.