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India A To Face England Lions In Three Four Day Matches Before England Test Series

Jatin

India A will play England Lions [Source: AP]India A will play England Lions [Source: AP]

Indian cricket is in rebuild mode after a season that can only be described as disastrous. The much-vaunted team, once considered invincible at home, saw their fortress crumble with a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, followed by a 3-1 drubbing in Australia.

India A’s Golden Chance To Shine

For the first time in three World Test Championship (WTC) cycles, India has failed to make the final. As the dust settles, the BCCI has created a plan to help players stake their claim for the England Tests: three four-day games against England Lions in late May and early June.

The three matches will come right after the IPL finale on May 25 and act as a dress rehearsal before India’s Test series against England, starting June 20. For some batters, this could be their shot at redemption after a season of misfiring. For others, it’s a chance to break into the Test squad.

With India’s batting in complete disarray during the Australian tour, these games offer a lifeline. Virat Kohli, averaging a modest 30.72 since 2020, and captain Rohit Sharma, who controversially skipped the Sydney Test citing form issues, will be under the scanner. The selectors will want to see whether players can rise to the occasion and prove their mettle.

The Lions Offer Tough Opposition

The quality of the opposition has raised some eyebrows, as the English County Championship will take a break during the T20 Blast window. But the BCCI is confident that the England Lions will field a competitive squad.

After all, when the Lions toured India in 2023-24, they faced heavyweights like Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and Prasidh Krishna, players who later became Test regulars. The BCCI expects a similarly robust lineup for these matches in 2025, giving the Indian batters a real test of skill and temperament.

The batters will need to show their hunger and form during these games. The Sydney fiasco, where Rohit Sharma opted out of a Test match and left fans questioning his leadership, still looms large. Kohli, too, will want to work on his off-stump game after being repeatedly undone by the outside edge in Australia.

For youngsters and fringe players, these matches are a golden ticket. The BCCI has made it clear: performance in these games will weigh heavily during squad selection for the England series. It’s a sink-or-swim scenario, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.