3 clear indications from India A's squad for the one-day matches against Australia A ft. Vipraj Nigam

Following a two-game first-class series, India A are all set to lock horns with Australia A in three one-day matches. The first encounter of the rubber will take place on Tuesday, September 30 at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.

Shreyas Iyer will lead India A against Australia A, and he has a strong crop of players to choose from. The likes of Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, who featured in the senior team's triumphant Asia Cup 2025 campaign, will join the squad for the second and third matches.

India A squad for the 1st one-day match: Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abishek Porel (wk), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh.

India A squad for the 2nd and 3rd one-day matches: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abishek Porel (wk), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh.

The selectors haven't revealed much about their thought process while selecting the squad, but there are a few interesting signs worth taking a look at. On that note, here are three clear indications from India A's squad for the one-day matches against Australia A.

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#3 The selectors see all-rounders being the future of white-ball cricket

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India A's squad to take on Australia A features plenty of all-rounders. Apart from leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam and left-arm spinner Nishant Sindhu, part-time spin options in Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag and Ayush Badoni are present.

Suryansh Shedge has been picked as a fast-bowling all-rounder, while Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Gurjapneet Singh are all capable of striking a few big blows. No matter what lineup they choose to field, India A are likely to have a ton of batting depth and a fair few bowling options.

This is a glimpse into the future - most ODI teams in the world will likely move towards this approach, at least outside the outright world-class specialist bowlers and batters.

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#2 India A's pacers have been picked largely on attributes

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Yudhvir Singh averages more than 50 and has an economy rate of 6.85 in List A cricket. Gurjapneet Singh hasn't featured in a single domestic 50-over game. Simarjeet Singh averages just under 40 and has an economy rate of 5.3 in the 50-over format.

Even Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are better known for their skills in the shortest format, having become regulars in the Indian Premier League. Neither pacer is established at the international level in ODI cricket.

India's fast bowlers have largely been picked on their attributes and not their performances, and that's certainly the right thing to do. All of them are tall fast bowlers who can hit the deck hard and generate movement, and even if they haven't delivered so far, they have the tools to become solid options.

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#1 Quality T20 hitters are making their way into the ODI plans

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The presence of Priyansh Arya and Abhishek Sharma in the India A squad was surprising at first. While Arya averages 11 in List A cricket, Abhishek hasn't quite cracked the format yet with an average of 35.3 and a strike rate of 99.2.

However, the selectors' thought process on this front is fairly clear. With batters like Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal being occupied on the Test series against the West Indies, the think tank has decided to pick young batters with a high attacking upside.

Quality T20 hitters are making their way into ODI plans around the world, and India is bound to be no different.