The 32-year-old Pandya last played a competitive match for Mumbai Indians in the previous IPL season. He has remained away from cricket since then due to a leg injury, which prevented him from attaining full fitness. His inclusion in the India A ODI squad is therefore subject to his fitness.
The Australia A tour will begin with the first multi-day match in Puducherry from September 22, while the second match will also be played at the same venue from September 29. The two multi-day matches will be followed by three ODIs in Puducherry on October 6, 9 and 11.
Meanwhile, India’s senior team will play three ODIs against the West Indies on September 27, September 30 and October 3. The upcoming home series against Australia A will feature two multi-day red-ball matches and three 50-over matches.
Devdutt Padikkal will lead India A in the multi-day matches, while Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named captain of the ODI side. Sai Sudharsan, who has recovered from a leg injury, has been appointed vice-captain of the India A squad for the multi-day series.
The Indian team is currently on a break and will soon return to action, with the three-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan beginning on September 13. The West Indies will then tour India, with the two sides scheduled to play ODI and T20I series.
For the two-day matches, the India A squad comprises Devdutt Padikkal (captain), Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pande, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Sheikh Rasheed, Kumar Kushagra, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Anshul Kamboj, Prafull Hingre, Narayan Jagadeesan, Nachiket Bhute and Vijaykumar Vyshak.
For the ODIs, the squad includes Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Priyansh Arya, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya, Prabhsimran Singh, Gurjapneet Singh and Yash Thakur.
Pandya’s return to the India A ODI setup, subject to full fitness, will be closely significant for the October series as the squad prepares for three 50-over contests against Australia A in Puducherry.
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