Shubman Gill might just want to be fit enough to bat, as even a half-fit skipper is seen as more effective than Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sarfaraz Khan.
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.
Karnataka on shaky ground against Punjab despite Rahul's fifty; Desai puts Saurashtra on cusp of win
Earlier, Tanush Kotian (90 not out) and Anshul Kamboj (51 not out) brought up their respective half-centuries to take India A to 417 for 7 at tea on the fourth day of their second unofficial Test in Northampton on Monday.
'The No. 3 spot can't become a game of musical chairs.'
Yash Dhull smashed his way to 92 but Vidarbha bowling unit proved too good for Rest of India as they comfortably won the Irani Cup by 93 runs in Nagpur on Sunday.
The 22-year-old expressed his feelings after being selected for the BGT 2024-25 series.
India stuck to their pre-series decision to field Bumrah in only three Tests and was hence not played in the final Test at the Oval
Devdutt Padikkal hit a stroke-filled 92 not out after right-arm pacer Akash Deep shone bright with the ball with a four-wicket haul as India A took control of the four-day second unofficial Test against England Lions on the opening day in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
'Not sure whether I will be going, fingers crossed.'
Gill, Rahul score fifties in intra-squad practice match against India A ahead of England Test
Chasing a tough target of 490, India were precariously placed at 159 for 4 at stumps.
For India, the only successful bowler during their 63 overs of vigil on the day was left-arm orthodox Saurabh Kumar (1/45 in 18 overs).
Shami puts Bengal on top of points table with easy win vs Services
In case Rohit misses a Test match in Australia, the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be his cover although Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are also players with enough experience in the opening slot.
Priyank Panchal played 127 first class games and amassed 8,856 runs at 45.18 with 29 centuries and 34 fifties.
Will Sai Sudarshan or Abhimanyu Easwaran bat at No. 3?
Buoyed by their win in the first Test in Perth, the Indian cricket team arrived in Canberra for the mid-series two-day game against the Australia Prime Minister's XI on November 30 and December 1 ahead of the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide on December 6.
The likes of Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Rinku Singh will get another opportunity to enhance their red-ball credentials when the final round of Duleep Trophy matches begin in Anantapur
Mumbai, Karnataka brace for 'mini India' showdown in marquee Ranji QF match
The outings of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prasidh Krishna will be the primary focal points of India A's four-day match against their Australian counterparts
Bengal will be bolstered by the return of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami who has who has been out of India contention since the Champions Trophy.
Abhimanyu Easwaran made the future path all the more tough with his second duck of the match, while Sai Sudharsan concluded his lukewarm preparation for the South Africa Test series with an underwhelming 23 off 38 balls.
It was also his third hundred in the last seven innings after going past three digits against Australia A at Lucknow and the West Indies at Ahmedabad.
Shreyas Iyer has been named captain of the India A squad for the upcoming three-match one-day series against Australia A, starting September 30 in Kanpur.
The series, to commence on June 20, will be played at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester.
India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was ruled out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy because of illness.
This year, Rajat led RCB to their maiden IPL title in 18 years and recently was crucial to the Central Zone's Duleep Trophy triumph for the first time since 2014-15.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has offered his thoughts to solve India's selection dilemma ahead of the fourth Test against England in Manchester, scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
Domestic veterans Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajat Patidar and Rinku Singh could keep the team management interested going forward in Test cricket.
Pace sensation Umran Malik, 22, has also been named in the squad.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes India is in "safe hands" and has "enough talent" to trounce England, but it will all come down to how the young-looking squad will leave a mark in the series on a territory known for being "tough".
The selectors announced India's teams for the tour of South Africa.
'But I think if you look at a rebuilding sort of phase, I think India can cope with it better than most other teams'
Mumbai recovered from a batting collapse to take a 136-run lead over Karnataka on Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
India A skipper Rishabh Pant will look to build on the gains from the first match, while the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will aim for crucial red-ball game time in the second four-day match against a Temba Bavuma-led South Africa A in Bengaluru from Thursday.
Nitish Reddy fails with bat as Vidarbha take first-innings lead against Andhra
Ranji Trophy: MP enter quarterfinals; Saurashtra on brink of qualification
'With a new generation stepping up, Team India is not just carrying forward a legacy -- they are writing a new chapter in our cricketing history.'
