Rahul and Jaiswal in India A squad for red-ball matches in New Zealand

India’s first-choice Test opening pair, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, will headline a strong 15-member India A squad for a three-match red-ball shadow tour of New Zealand starting later this month. The tour is designed to help the national team regulars acclimatize and build valuable match practice ahead of the high-stakes World Test Championship (WTC) series. Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has been handed the captaincy of the side. Meanwhile, explosive teammate Rishabh Pant has also been included in the touring party, though his participation remains subject to fitness. Pant recently captained the Rest of India to an Irani Cup victory over Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar, but has faced minor fitness hurdles, including unconfirmed reports of a flu. DDCA earlier confirmed Pant’s unavailability for the upcoming Ranji Trophy opener. The shadow tour kicks off with the first game in Lincoln on October 26, followed by the second fixture at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, before returning to Lincoln for the final match wrapping up on November 10. This serves as crucial preparation for India's upcoming two Tests against New Zealand in Wellington and Christchurch, scheduled between November 19 and December 1—marking India’s first Test tour to the country since early 2020.Key Selections and Form-Based Call-upsThe squad features a blend of established international stars and standout performers from domestic circuits:Batting Depth: Devdutt Padikkal and B Sai Sudharsan—who recently returned from a toe injury—provide stability alongside middle-order option Yash Rathod, who impressed during the recent unofficial Tests against Australia A.Maiden Call-up: Karnataka's Ravichandran Smaran earned his maiden India A call-up on the back of stellar performances in the Irani Cup (hitting 68 and 135).Bowling Force: The pace attack is bolstered by the returns of Akash Deep (following a seven-month injury layoff) and Mukesh Kumar, both of whom starred in the Irani Cup. They are joined by Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, and Auqib Nabi—the highest wicket-taker of the 2025-26 Ranji season with 60 scalps.Spin Department: Washington Sundar and Manav Suthar will handle frontline spin duties, with Suthar coming off an impressive 14-wicket county stint for Warwickshire.Full India A Squad for New ZealandDhruv Jurel (Captain, WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Rishabh Pant (WK, subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, and Mukesh Kumar.