Nair will bat at No 5 at The Oval in what many see as his last chance at redemption.
Despite having an impeccable domestic record and a decent start to his international career, he was not picked for the England tour as selectors preferred Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair over him.
Mumbai were bowled out for 181 in their second innings, setting J&K 243 runs to win the season-opening match.
The fringe and aspiring bunch will look to own the elevated Duleep Trophy stage as the red-ball competition returns to its traditional zonal format and marks the start of India's domestic cricket season.
Under pressure, the BCCI announced that the final to be played from September 11-15 will be broadcast live.
Ananya and also threw in a throwback pic from their cricket playing days.
Shreyas Iyer's 604 runs across 17 matches for Punjab Kings at a strike-rate in excess of 175 did not resonate with the selectors during the Asia Cup selection.
England assistant coach Paul Collingwood on Thursday heaped praise on debutant Sarfaraz Khan, whose aggressive 62 allowed India to score 326 for five on day one of the third Test.
Karun Nair stroked a magnificent century to power India A to 409/3 on Day 1 of the four-day unofficial Test against England Lions.
Tom Haines smashed an unbeaten century to lead England Lions' strong reply after Karun Nair's double century had powered India A to a massive 557 on Day 2 of the first Unofficial Test.
'In Mumbai cricket, your scores are only counted only if you score a hundred or more, below that doesn't mean anything.'
'Most of the batters performed. I would say that is a very good sign going forward. Apart from this you have got three quality batters who are not even part of the squad -- Shreyas (Iyer), Sarfaraz (Khan) and (Devdutt) Padikkal.'
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
"We will have an advantage...": BCCI VP Shukla on India's new-look squad for England tour
Thakur, who resumed Day 3 unbeaten, brought up his century with ease, reinforcing his case as the ideal seam-bowling all-rounder ahead of the Leeds Test.
Fans and experts questioned the logic behind repeatedly including Easwaran in squads without ever giving him a real opportunity
Mumbai boys made a cool statement in Melbourne as Sarfaraz Khan posed alongside Skipper Rohit Sharma.
After powering RCB past PBKS, Kohli shared a touching moment with youngster Musheer Khan, whose emotional reaction to receiving the gifted bat said it all.
Abhishek Porel set to replace Rishabh Pant at DC, Sarfaraz to start as first keeper
'This hundred is because of my Abbu (father). The celebration was for Sidhu Moosewala. I love his songs'
Earlier, Mukesh bowled with venom, taking three wickets to help India crawl back into the contest as England Lions stumbled to 333 for five at lunch on Day 3.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
India A batters enjoyed their time on a placid batting track with all the top four batters helping themselves to half-centuries as the first unofficial 'Test' against England Lions ended in a draw
The BCCI on Friday announced the India A squad for the upcoming tour of England, featuring a blend of experienced prospects and rising stars.
How the Indian players fared in the five-Test series in England.
Jurel has produced a solid body of work in first-class and Test cricket alike, even though he displayed a completely different avatar for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a finisher since his debut in 2023.
India's batting faltered under pressure as they suffered a 22-run defeat in the third Test against England, at Lord's.
K L Rahul would look to make the most of his first red-ball outing in months ahead of the upcoming Test series against England.
Former India captains Dilip Vengsarkar and Diana Edulji were conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).aments.
The 25-year-old Shubman Gill is a clear favourite to land the high-profile job as Indian embarks on a new World Test Championship cycle.
India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav was named the icon player for the Triumph Knights Mumbai NorthEast, while Shreyas Iyer went to SoBo Mumbai Falcons.
While Gautam Gambhir's anger at the leaks is understandable, blaming Sarfaraz Khan without concrete proof seems premature and unnecessary.
'I don't think size has anything to do with it. It's your mental strength -- whether you can last the distance -- that's the most important thing. Bat well, bat for long, and score runs.'
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Sarfaraz Khan along with Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar reached Perth on Monday.
Mhatre, Raghuvanshi, Kotian star attractions as 280 players go under the hammer
The squad also features Karun Nair, who returns to the national set up after a long gap of eight years.
Rishabh Pant displayed remarkable courage and determination by returning to the crease on the fourth day of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand.
'We know he plays spin well, but I liked the way he played fast bowlers.'
Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Yash Dayal were on Monday released from the Indian Test side to participate in the Irani Cup in Lucknow.
Professional Management Group has signed up promising batting talent Sarfaraz Khan.
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