Priyank Panchal, Hanuma Vihari potential contenders to lead India A

According to the latest report, Indian batter Priyank Panchal is a strong candidate to lead the India A team when New Zealand A visit next month. India A side is scheduled to play three four-day matches and three one-day matches against the Kiwis starting from the first of September. Indian management is likely to announce a strong India A squad in the next few days.

Priyank has been a regular part of the India A team but is yet to make his debut for the Men in Blue. He plays for Gujarat in domestic cricket and has scored over 10000 runs across formats. Priyank led India A team against South Africa last year and is currently at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. In case he misses out on the selection, then the management is looking at Hanuma Vihari as the next captaincy candidate.

Various reports suggested that the star batter Shubman Gill will be leading the India A team against the Black Caps. But now, a report from Cricbuzz suggests that Gill is expected to feature in County Championship and is currently negotiating with various teams. The same report also suggests that management is considering including Kuldeep Yadav in India A squad.

New Zealand A name strong squad for India tour:

New Zealand have already announced a strong squad with international-experienced players like Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Jacob Duffy, and Michael Rippon. Tom Bruce and Robbie O’Donnell are named co-captain to lead the 15-member squad. New Zealand A last played overseas competitive cricket in 2018 against Pakistan A in UAE and against India A in 2017. The Indian senior team will be traveling to New Zealand to play three ODI and three T20I matches after the conclusion of the 2022 T20 World Cup in November.