India A vs Australia A: 5 Indian players who missed out on selection

The India A team that will play Australia A in two four-day matches has been revealed by the BCCI. The second multi-day match will start on September 23, 2025, with the series beginning on September 16, 2025. Both games are scheduled to be played in Lucknow.

Shreyas Iyer was named captain of the side, with Dhruv Jurel appointed as vice-captain. Names like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, and others were included.

However, there were some names that fans felt should have been included in the India A side for the Australia A games. These matches are seen as a precursor to the upcoming four-Test series India will play at home against West Indies and South Africa, serving as a chance to audition for the national team.

Here are five Indian players who missed out on selection for the India A vs Australia A series:

1. Karun Nair

Karun Nair made a well-deserved comeback into the Indian team after a gap of eight years. He is only the second Indian to score a triple hundred in Tests after Virender Sehwag. However, he couldn’t do much in his subsequent Tests, leading to his absence from the Indian team since 2017.

He played four Tests in England, scoring 205 runs with an average barely above 25 and only one fifty in eight innings. Karun got starts in almost every innings but often got out to average-looking deliveries. It doesn’t seem like the BCCI selectors want to give him further chances. He is fit and injury-free, but not being included in the India A side might be an ominous sign for his future.

2. Rajat Patidar

Rajat Patidar has performed well in recent times, especially in the Duleep Trophy 2025 for Central Zone. He returned to action after an injury layoff and scored 125, 66, and 77 in three innings for his team so far. Patidar has played three Tests for India, scoring 63 runs against England in 2024. He has a solid record in first-class cricket, with 5006 runs in 70 games, including 14 centuries and a highest score of 196.

Patidar is excellent against both pace and spin in the middle order. India has been searching for consistent middle-order batters, especially after Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair failed to deliver in the England series. Patidar could have filled that gap with his ability to score quickly or steady the innings when required.

3. Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been unlucky with injuries and a lack of opportunities. He has played six ODIs and 23 T20Is for India but has remained on the fringes of Test cricket. He has featured in several India A tours and was even part of the Indian Test squad but had to miss out due to injury.

Gaikwad has 2832 runs in 39 first-class matches with an average of 43.56, eight centuries, 14 fifties, and a best score of 195. He is comfortable batting as an opener as well as at No. 3 or 4. With a tight technique and effectiveness against both pace and spin, missing out on the India A squad may indicate that he is not in India’s immediate Test plans.

4. Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan made an impressive debut for India against England, scoring twin fifties. He has 371 runs in six Tests, including a century, at an average of 37.10. In first-class cricket, he has amassed 4685 runs in 55 matches at an outstanding average of 65.98, with 16 centuries and a highest score of 301*. He is widely regarded as a top talent and has worked hard on his fitness in recent years.

He scored a brilliant century in the Buchi Babu tournament and was primed for an India A spot, with hopes of an Indian team recall. However, a quad injury ruled him out of contention. His aggressive batting style is something India will need in their middle order going forward.

5. Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan was expected to replace Rishabh Pant in the Indian Test squad in England, as he was playing county cricket. However, he missed out due to an injury that required a cast on his foot. Kishan has played two Tests, 27 ODIs, and 32 T20Is for India. He has a double hundred in ODIs to his name and boasts an excellent strike rate in both ODIs and T20Is. But his refusal to follow BCCI’s domestic cricket guidelines in 2024 has hampered his international career.

The 27-year-old is a very talented cricketer but needs more chances to prove his worth. He has 3611 runs in 60 first-class matches, averaging 38.82, with eight centuries, 19 fifties, and a highest score of 273. His runs have come at a good pace, and he recently impressed with back-to-back fifties for Nottinghamshire in county cricket. An India return seems on the horizon for Kishan, as he was recently awarded a central contract by the BCCI.

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