BCCI announces India A team’s coaching staff for England tour, appoints Hrishikesh Kanitkar as head coach

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named the coaching staff for India A team’s upcoming tour of England, with former India all-rounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar appointed as head coach. The announcement was made on May 16, ahead of the team’s departure later this month for a crucial preparatory series in England.

Alongside Kanitkar, the coaching panel includes Subhodeep Ghosh from Assam as the fielding coach and Troy Cooley as the bowling coach. Kanitkar, who has prior experience coaching India’s Under-19 and women’s teams, brings a wealth of knowledge to the role. His playing career featured two Test matches and 34 ODIs for India, and he has also represented Maharashtra in domestic cricket.

The India A squad, captained by opener Abhimanyu Easwaran with wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel as vice-captain, comprises a mix of promising young talent and experienced domestic performers. Notable names include Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Ishan Kishan, Shardul Thakur and Khaleel Ahmed. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are set to join the squad ahead of the second match.

The tour itinerary includes two four-day first-class matches against the England Lions – the first at Canterbury from May 30 to June 2, and the second at Northampton from June 6 to 9. Following these, India A will play a closed-door intra-squad match against the senior Indian team in Beckenham from June 13 to 16.

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This India A tour serves as a vital “shadow tour” to prepare players for the upcoming senior men’s five-Test series against England, starting June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. The senior team’s selection, initially scheduled for May 23, has been postponed due to the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and will now be finalized in the last week of May. The senior squad is set to depart for England on June 6.

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is expected to arrive in England with the senior team and will attend the second India A match, underscoring the close coordination between the two squads during this preparatory phase.

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