Guwahati: Assam cricketer Riyan Parag has been included in the India ‘A’ squad for two warm-up matches ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
India ‘A’ faced the United States on February 2 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and will take on Namibia on February 6 at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The match is scheduled to begin at 5 pm.
Parag returns to the India ‘A’ setup after recovering from a shoulder injury. The right-handed all-rounder made his India debut in July 2024 and has since played nine international matches, scoring 106 runs and claiming four wickets.
In T20 cricket overall, Parag has played 143 matches, amassing 3,168 runs at a strike rate of 144.13, underlining his credentials as a key middle-order option.
Ayush Badoni has been named captain of the India A side, which features a mix of emerging talent and experienced domestic performers. The squad includes Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Ashutosh Sharma, Priyansh Arya, Riyán Parag and Manav Suthar, Ashok Sharma, Gurjapneet Singh, Vipraj Nigam, Ravi Bishnoi, Khaleel Ahmed and Mayank Yadav.
Wicketkeeping duties will be shared by N. Jagadeesan and Urvil Patel. The BCCI also clarified that Tilak Varma will feature in only one warm-up match before joining the senior India squad for the T20 World Cup.
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The warm-up matches against the USA and Namibia are expected to provide crucial match practice and allow the team management to assess player combinations ahead of the marquee tournament.
