Preparing for the journey down to England on May 25, the India A team intends to engage in a series of four-day fixtures against the England Lions. But, of course, some players will be joining late as they’re tied up with the IPL 2025 franchises in the playoffs. The BCCI is in the process of making travel arrangements for the team to look after their departure according to plan.
These matches take on added significance, serving as a warm-up for the Indian team as they head into the five-Test series beginning in June against England. India A will be challenging the England Lions in three four-day matches, starting with the first on May 30 in Canterbury. The BCCI is ironing out the details of putting together a strong squad, the eventual makeup of which will depend on the selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar.
Given that the senior Indian team will also be playing a Test series against England in mid-June, there is a good probability that some of those senior players will consider coming over to help out the India A squad for the second four-day match. Reports suggest that these players are eager to get involved in at least one of the three matches to warm up for the crucial Test series that awaits. Regular Test players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma as captain, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj are busy with their IPL teams presently.
June 20 to June 24 will see the opening Test of the England-India series being played at Headingley, Leeds, with this series acting as the kick-start for India’s World Test Championship campaign for 2025-27. So much is at stake for both the India A team and the main side as they gear up for the events ahead.
