"Is that an indication that you are going to keep him in the XI?" - Aakash Chopra on India A captain ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former India player Aakash Chopra has wondered whether Abhimanyu Easwaran's appointment as India A skipper for the upcoming tour of England implies that the Bengal opener is a certainty in the visitors' XI for the subsequent Test series. He also questioned why Ruturaj Gaikwad wasn't given the leadership role.

The selectors recently announced an 18-member India A squad for two first-class matches against the England Lions, followed by a game against the main Indian side. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will join the squad ahead of the second game against the England Lions.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener questioned whether Easwaran being given the captaincy ahead of Gaikwad means the Bengal batter will figure in the visitors' Test XI.

"When such a team was made last time, Ruturaj Gaikwad was the captain. Now Ruturaj Gaikwad is not the captain. Why has that happened? I have got no idea. The big news is that Abhimanyu Easwaran has been made the captain. Is that an indication that you are going to keep him in the XI? I have no idea, but he has been made the captain," he said (6:25).

Chopra opined that Devdutt Padikkal's absence implies that he is ruled out of the entire England tour.

"Devdutt Padikkal is not part of this squad. It means his hamstring tear is a serious one. RCB might have some problems because of that, but he will himself have more problems because of that, as he is out of the entire England tour. He is not going to be considered. How would his name come if his name is not there in this team?" he observed.

Devdutt Padikkal has scored 90 runs at an average of 30.00 in two Tests. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 due to a hamstring injury and might not recover for the England tour.

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"IPL hasn't been very kind to him" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant's absence from India A squad ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Rishabh Pant has struggled with the bat in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

While opining that KL Rahul might have been given a break, Aakash Chopra reckoned that Rishabh Pant should have been picked in the India A squad for the second match to help him regain his form.

"Who are the other absentees? KL Rahul isn't there. Maybe spending time with his family. Rishabh Pant isn't there. Ishan Kishan is making a comeback. You might not see him playing because Dhruv Jurel is the vice-captain. Maybe Rishabh Pant could have gone for the second match as well because you want to remain in batting form. IPL hasn't been very kind to him," he said (7:15) in the same video.

While noting that Arshdeep Singh is a major absentee in the seam-bowling department, the cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted the importance of the India A series for Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan.

"In bowling, Arshdeep isn't there. He might still be considered after the playoffs, but Arshdeep's absence is a significant miss. It will be a very important series for Karun Nair. There are three games. Your name can come if you do well. The focus will also be on Sai Sudharsan once he comes," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra opined that Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammad Shami and Prasidh Krishna seem to be confirmed picks in India's seam attack for the Test series against England. He added that there would be a shoot-out among the likes of Shardul Thakur, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, Tushar Deshpande and Khaleel Ahmed for the fifth spot.