Kumar Kushagra replaces injured Rishabh Pant in India A squad
What's the story
Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has replaced the injured Rishabh Pant in the India A squad for their upcoming multi-day series against New Zealand A. Pant suffered a side strain while leading the Rest of India in the 2026 Irani Cup. His participation in the third match of this series will be determined later, considering his fitness status.
Player performance
Who is Kumar Kushagra?
Kumar Kushagra, a 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, has been in excellent form in the red-ball format.
He has scored two centuries in his last three First-Class matches, including one in the Duleep Trophy final and another against Australia A in Puducherry.
As of now, he has scored 2,507 runs from 38 FC matches at an average of 42.49. His tally includes 7 tons and 6 half-centuries.
Tour itinerary
Schedule for New Zealand A series
The India A series against New Zealand A will kick off on October 24 in Lincoln, with the second match scheduled for Christchurch on October 31. The final game will be played back in Lincoln on November 7.
Under Dhruv Jurel's captaincy, the squad features experienced players like KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, and Washington Sundar.
Information
India A's updated squad
Updated squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Dhruv Jurel (captain and wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar, and Kumar Kushagra (1st and 2nd matches).