Virat Kohli fans received disappointing news on his birthday as the veteran batter has not been included in the India A squad for the upcoming unofficial ODI series against South Africa A. Despite speculation over a possible return in the build-up, Kohli’s name was missing from the list announced by the BCCI selection committee.
Tilak Varma has been named captain for the three-match series, with Ruturaj Gaikwad appointed vice-captain. The matches will take place on November 13, 16 and 19 in Rajkot.
Reports earlier suggested that selectors were unlikely to pick senior players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the India A series, and the final squad confirmed the same. Both senior batters continue to remain out of the setup for this assignment.
The India A squad features a mix of emerging and fringe players, including Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. Prasidh Krishna, who featured in the Test squad for the West Indies tour earlier, has been picked for the one-day games.
India A squad for ODIs vs South Africa A
Tilak Varma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Prabhsimran Singh (WK)
Kohli, who turned a year older today, has not been named in either the senior India A squad or the main ODI group for this series, meaning fans will have to wait longer to see the former India captain back in competitive cricket.
