Nagpur: A group of Vidarbha cricketers have been consistently impressing national selectors with their stellar performances over recent seasons. Three of them—Harsh Dubey, Yash Thakur, and Aman Mokhade—have earned spots in the India 'A' squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.
Selection Announcement
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced a 14-member squad on Saturday for two four-day matches against Sri Lanka 'A', scheduled to be held in Galle from June 25 to July 5. The team will be captained by Dhruv Jurel, with Devdutt Padikkal named as vice-captain for the red-ball assignment.
Historic Achievement for Vidarbha
Officials from the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) noted that this is likely the first time three Vidarbha players have been included in the India 'A' squad simultaneously. "Finally, our players are getting the chances they deserve," an official remarked.
Spinner-all-rounder Dubey has been on the selectors' radar after a record-breaking Ranji Trophy season in 2024-25. His impressive outing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the recently concluded IPL helped him secure a spot in the Indian team for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, which began on Saturday. Although Dubey did not make the playing XI, sources indicate he is likely to receive more opportunities soon.
Medium pacer Yash Thakur has also been consistent over the last few seasons. He impressed in the IPL with his pace, variation, and ability to bowl effective bouncers. Both Dubey and Thakur have been part of India 'A' squads previously, but Mokhade has earned his maiden call-up. The right-handed opener was in exceptional form during the last Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy seasons.
Mokhade played a pivotal role in Vidarbha's first Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph. He finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 814 runs at an astonishing average of 90.44, equalling the record for most centuries (five). In the previous Ranji Trophy edition, Mokhade accumulated over 500 runs.
India 'A' Squad
India 'A' squad for Sri Lanka tour: Dhruv Jurel (captain & wicketkeeper), Devdutt Padikkal (vice-captain), Harsh Dubey, Yash Thakur, Aman Mokhade, Sai Sudharsan, Ayush Pandey, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Saransh Jain, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Anshul Kamboj, N Jagadeesan (wicketkeeper), Shaik Rasheed, and Zeeshan Ansari.
