Are These India A Stars Ready for a Test Call-Up Against England?
Recently, the India A team went against the England Lions, where several uncapped players showcased their talent even on the tough English pitches. With the new era of the Indian Test team coming closer with the England tour, there are a few players who deserve a call-up following their impressive performances against the England Lions.
Following the retirement of the two legendary players in the Test format, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the Indian Test team is set for its new era. Shubman Gill, the captain of the side, and Rishabh Pant, the vice captain, are now gearing up for the England tour, which also marks the beginning of the new WTC cycle for the team. The squad for the England series has also been announced, as these players are a part of the team:
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Shubman Gill (c) | Opening Batter |
| Rishabh Pant (vc) † | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Akash Deep | Bowler |
| Arshdeep Singh | Bowler |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler |
| Abhimanyu Easwaran | Top order Batter |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Allrounder |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opening Batter |
| Dhruv Jurel † | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler |
| Mohammed Siraj | Bowler |
| Karun Nair | Top order Batter |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | Batting Allrounder |
| Prasidh Krishna | Bowler |
| KL Rahul † | Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Sai Sudharsan | Top order Batter |
| Shardul Thakur | Bowler |
| Washington Sundar | Bowling Allrounder |
With these 18 players, the Indian team looks ready for its new and challenging phase in Test cricket under the coach Gautam Gambhir. Following the poor form of the team in the Test series against New Zealand and Australia, the new coach and captain now have a chance to bring the Indian team back to its dominant overseas form. This started with the Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri duo.
Ahead of the England tour, the India A team also had a few practice matches against England Lions, where the uncapped players showcased some resilience with their performances. Various players who did not have their names listed in the main squad were able to shine well under the English conditions, making them ready to receive a call-up for the main team, if any player gets injured.
| Date | Time (IST) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 June – 24 June | 3:30 PM | 1st Test | Leeds |
| 02 July – 06 July | 3:30 PM | 2nd Test | Birmingham |
| 10 July – 14 July | 3:30 PM | 3rd Test | Lord’s |
| 23 July – 27 July | 3:30 PM | 4th Test | Manchester |
| 31 July – 04 August | 3:30 PM | 5th Test | The Oval |
The selectors are also now looking forward to the shining stars of the India A team, which makes them think which player is more deserving to be a part of the main squad. Let’s take a look at a few players from India A, who could get a call-up for the upcoming series against England.
Anshul Kamboj
One of the stars who is most likely to get a chance for the Indian team against England is Anshul Kamboj, a youngster who has impressed a lot with his skills. His improving performances in the domestic format were also seen in the matches he played against the England Lions. In the recently concluded edition of the Ranji Trophy, Kamboj was among the leading wicket-takers, having 34 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 13.79, and an economy rate of just 2.80 runs per over.
His form shall definitely not be confused with the domestic stats, as he also gave some great performances in the IPL 2025 season, playing for Chennai Super Kings. In the recent edition, he played just 8 matches for Chennai Super Kings and was able to take 8 wickets at an average of 21.50, and an economy rate of just 8 runs per over.
Playing both matches against the England Lions, Anshul Kamboj has taken 2 wickets in 2 innings at an average of 53.50, and an economy rate of 3.24 runs per over. With his bowling style and variations in the line and length, he would be able to add some thrill to the Indian line-up. Along with that, bowling in the English conditions also makes him a bit knowledgeable about the swing and bowler-friendly conditions, making him eager to take advantage.
Sarfaraz Khan
The youngster who finally made his debut for the Indian team in the previous series against England was unfortunately excluded from the main squad for the England tour. He had a great start to his Test career in the England series but encountered a few bad games, which resulted in him being dropped from the team. Sarfaraz has played 6 matches for the Indian team and scored 371 runs at an average of 37.10, with one century and three half-centuries.
He has the capability to play well against the pacers, which has been seen by the selectors in the first-class matches. Having some best records, he has played 55 matches in the First Class format, and scored 4685 runs at an average of 65.89, with 16 centuries and 15 half-centuries. These stats have been phenomenal, but the only concern that the selectors had while picking him was his lack of experience in the overseas conditions.
But Sarfaraz is keen to get his place in the Indian team, as he even lost 10 kgs of weight to become a part of the squad in the overseas matches. Recently, in the match against England Lions, he dominated the England Lions’ bowlers, scoring 92 runs off 119 balls with 13 fours in the first match.
Harsh Dubey
The youngster, coming from Maharashtra, comes in as the perfect option for the Indian team if any all-rounder like Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar gets injured ahead of the series. He will be a likeable replacement for Jadeja, with his skills shining with both bat and ball. Dubey will be a great addition to the team, as his capability to maintain line and length constantly will trouble the English batsmen. Playing just one match for the India A team against Lions, he scored 32 runs and even took a wicket, at an economy rate of 5.16.
Harsh Dubey has already been noticed by the Test selectors for his outstanding performances in the recent edition of the Ranji Trophy. His impressive bowling skills helped Vidarbha to win the title, as Dubey finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. Taking 69 wickets in 10 matches, he maintained an average of 16.98 and an economy rate of 2.66 runs per over throughout the season.
Such dominant performances in the domestic format helped him to be a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Although he played just 3 matches for the team in the 2025 season, he was still able to take 5 wickets at an average of 19.60 and an economy rate of 9.80 runs per over. Besides that, he also showcased some resilience with his batting skills against the England Lions.
Mukesh Kumar
Mukesh Kumar has been a part of the Indian team constantly in the white ball format, but he is also eager to mark his return to the Test format, where he last played in the Tests against England. Having played just 3 Test matches for India, Mukesh has taken 7 wickets at an average of 25.57 and holds an economy rate of 3.78 runs per over. His comeback came in the match between India A and England Lions, where he took 3 wickets at an average of 30.66, and an economy of 3.68.
With some impressive performances in the unofficial Test, Mukesh Kumar will be a great addition to the team’s bowling line-up for the Test series against England. The Indian bowling line-up is already suffering much, with Bumrah missing out on two matches and Shami being unavailable due to his fitness. At this time, Mukesh Kumar, who already holds some experience in the international format, having played in the West Indies and South African conditions.
Even in the recent IPL season, he showcased some fluent performances, with 12 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 34, and an economy rate of 10.32 runs per over. Also, he dominated in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, playing just 6 matches and grabbing 13 wickets at an average of 19.76, and an economy rate of just 5.76 runs per over. In case the Indian bowling line-up suffers a shortage of an experienced seamer, Mukesh will be the best choice to be in the team.
Khaleel Ahmed
One of the bowlers who have been under the eyes of the Indian selectors lately is Khaleel Ahmed, who has performed well consistently. In the ongoing match against the England Lions, he was able to rattle through the middle order with ease, taking 4 wickets at an economy of 3.66 runs per over and an average of 12.75 runs per wicket. His ability to tackle the batsmen even in English conditions could help him to be a part of the main team against England if any left-arm pacer is needed.
His first-class stats have also been great in the recent Ranji Trophy, as Khaleel played 4 matches and took 16 wickets at an average of 21.43, and an economy rate of 3.57 runs per over. In his entire first-class career, he has taken 52 wickets in 19 matches at an average of 28.34, and an economy of 3.15, with 2 four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
Khaleel’s performances were noticed by the selectors during the Ranji Trophy and the IPL 2025 season, where he played for the Chennai Super Kings. He played 14 matches for the team and took 15 wickets at an average of 29.80 and an economy of 9.57 runs per over.
Which of these players do you think is likely to get a chance in the Indian team against England in the upcoming five-match Test series?
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