Sitanshu Kotak: The National Cricket Academy’s (NCA) batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, a former captain of Saurashtra, has been handed command of the India A squad, which is now touring Bangladesh for two four-day matches. Troy Cooley, the NCA’s Australian bowling coach, and T Dilip, the fielding coach for the national team, will be Kotak’s assistants.
Following India’s T20 World Cup campaign, Dilip had been granted a little rest. Now, he will go with India A squad and subsequently join the national team for the Tests in Bangladesh. The shadow “A” tour coincides with the three-ODI series starting on December 4. The permanent team got a break for the limited-overs series in New Zealand. Rahul Dravid and the senior players who were granted respite are all scheduled to make a comeback.
VVS Laxman With Men in Blue in New Zealand
The ‘A’ side’s coach and NCA head, VVS Laxman, along with his support staff of Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Sairaj Bahutule. The team is with the senior India side in New Zealand. Keeping that in mind, adjustments are made to the coaching setup.
Former opener SS Das, who is also a member of the NCA staff, wasn’t selected for the “A” tour. Although it is reportedly one of those vying to become a national selector after the BCCI posted job openings earlier this month while disbanding the previous panel.
India A in Bangladesh
The “A” team, under the direction of Abhimanyu Easwaran, arrived in Dhaka on Saturday and had their first practise at Cox’s Bazar, a coastal resort that will play home to the first four-day match starting on November 29. The second four-day tournament will take place in Sylhet from December 6–9.
Most of the India A players will return home in time to participate in their state teams’ preparations for the Ranji Trophy, which starts on December 13, with the exception of those chosen to remain back for the two-match Test series.
India A: Players to Watch Out for
Saurabh Kumar, a left-arm spinner, has been considered for a possible call-up for the Bangladesh Tests and might step in if Ravindra Jadeja is judged unfit for the Test leg as well. Jadeja had been invited to the tour party, but only if she was well after having knee surgery.
Last Monday, the NCA medical team decided that Jadeja required additional time to recover. They removed him from the ODI squad in favor of all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed. In Uttar Pradesh’s journey to the Ranji Trophy semifinal, Saurabh was instrumental. He has a remarkable aggregate of 58 wickets overall across 12 Ranji Trophy games from two completed seasons.
