India's star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was named the captain of the India ‘A’ side for its upcoming three-match one-day series against New Zealand ‘A’. The series starts on September 22 with all three matches being played in Chennai. The squad also includes explosive opener Prithvi Shaw, as well as Rahul Tripathi and Rajat Patidar, who had been impressive in this year's Indian Premier League.
Speed sensation Umran Malik, who had earlier played for India on the back of consistent performances in IPL 2022, also finds a place in the 'A' squad alongside fellow pacers Kuldeep Sen, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and Raj Angad Bawa.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhimanyu Easwaran have also been picked for the three-match series while youngster Tilak Varma, who drew eyeballs for his impressive performances for the Mumbai Indians in the 2022 season, has been selected as well.
Alongside Samson, KS Bharat has also been called-up as another wicketkeeper in the squad. Among spinners, Kuldeep Yadav, Rahul Chahar, and Shahbaz Ahmed lead the attack.
Samson had been an integral part of India's limited-overs squads following the IPL, but didn't find a place in the side for the Asia Cup 2022. After the emergence of Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant's already-cemented spot in the wicketkeeping role, Samson failed to break into the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup as well. However, the wicketkeeper-batter will be aiming for consistent outings as skipper in the ‘A’ series against New Zealand.
Here's the full squad:
Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Rajat Patidar, Sanju Samson (Captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Kuldeep Yadav, Shabhaz Ahmed, Rahul Chahar, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Sen, Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik, Navdeep Saini, Raj Angad Bawa
