The last time an India A squad was selected was back in December 2021, when the outfit toured South Africa to participate in three unofficial Tests. Hanuma Vihari, who led the side during that series, is not a part of this rubber, with Priyank Panchal being named skipper for the four-day series. Vihari will be captaining South Zone in the 2022 Duleep Trophy.

KS Bharat, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Umran Malik have also been included, with the selectors hoping that the trio can strengthen their case for a more permanent spot. Tilak Varma, who impressed in IPL 2022, has also been called up to the squad. There are spots for Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna too. Both have been in India’s white-ball setup lately but have found Test appearances hard to come by. Sarfaraz Khan, one of the most prolific Indian domestic batters in recent times, is also expected to play a big role.

On the other hand, New Zealand will be led by Tom Bruce. Mark Chapman and Dane Cleaver, who featured for the Black Caps in July, have also been included. These matches offer both sets of players a chance to showcase their skills and illustrate that they can step into the senior side if called upon.

India A vs New Zealand A 2022: Full squads and team news

India A squad (for unofficial Test series only): Priyank Panchal (captain), KS Bharat, Rahul Chahar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Arzan Nagwaswalla, Rajat Patidar, Prasidh Krishna, Saurabh Kumar, Tilak Varma, Umran Malik, Upendra Yadav, Yash Dayal

New Zealand A squad: Tom Bruce (captain), Chad Bowes, Joe Carter, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher, Cam Fletcher, Benjamin Lister, Robert O’Donnell, Rachin Ravindra, Michael Rippon, Sean Solia, Logan van Beek, Joe Walker