MUMBAI: The national selectors are likely to reward Shams Mulani after the left-arm spinning allrounder enjoyed a prolific season for Mumbai at both the senior and under-25 levels. According to sources, the 25-year-old is set to receive his maiden India ‘A’ call-up for the three four-day matches against the touring New Zealand ‘A’ side in September.
Though the team is yet to be announced by the BCCI, TOI has learnt that Shubman Gill will lead India ‘A’ in both the four-day games and the three one-dayers.
The three four-day fixtures will be held in Bangalore from September 1-4, 8-11 and 15-18, while the one-dayers will be held in Chennai on September 22, 25 and 27.
Captained by Tom Bruce, the NZ ‘A’ squad will have seven internationals. The tour resumes the ‘A’ programme, which was stalled due to Covid-19.
Taking as many as six five-wicket hauls, Mulani finished streets ahead of others in the wicket-takers’ chart in a truncated Ranji Trophy last season, taking 45 wickets in six games@16.75. The young tweaker also took 29 wickets in three games to bowl Mumbai to the under-25 CK Nayudu Trophy triumph.
The other noticeable likely pick for the four-day games, as per sources, is Madhya Pradesh’s Rajat Patidar, who slammed 122 and 30 not out in his team’s maiden Ranji triumph in June this year. Just before that, Patidar also became the first Indian batsman to smash a hundred in the IPL knockouts, when he achieved the feat for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Apart from Mulani, the three other Mumbai players who could make it to the India ‘A’ squad for the four-day games are pace-bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur and batsmen Sarfaraz Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Off-spinning allrounder Washington Sundar, who missed the ongoing ODI tour of Zimbabwe after suffering a shoulder injury in the UK, will be picked for both the squads.
Mohammed Siraj, Hanuma Vihari, Yash Dubey, Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Shubham Sharma, KS Bharat, Jalaj Saxena, Akshay Wadkar, Shahbaz Ahmed and Manisankar Murasingh could be the other members of the fourday outfit. Opener Prithvi Shaw is likely to feature in one-day games.
Likely India ‘A’ squads (as per information accessed by TOI):
For 4-dayers: Shubman Gill (C), Yash Dubey, Hanuma Vihari, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, KS Bharat (wk), Shams Mulani, Jalaj Saxena, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Sharma, Akshay Wadkar (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Manisankar Murasingh
For one-dayers: Shubman Gill (C), Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Hanuma Vihari, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rishi Dhawan, Washington Sundar, Praveen Dubey, Mayank Markande, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, KS Bharat (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Pulkit Narang, Rahul Chahar & Yash Dayal
