The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has announced India’s 18-member squad for the much-awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 featuring five test series against Australia. Among these experienced cricketers, three uncapped test players such as opening batter Abhimanyu Easwaran, pace bowler Harshit Rana, and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy are set to make their debuts in the longest format of cricket.
Surprisingly, the pacer Mohammed Shami hasn’t recovered from ankle surgery since the ODI World Cup 2023 final, and spinner Kuldeep Yadav suffering from a chronic groin injury forced the selectors to exclude these two core bowlers from the squad. Additionally, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, and Khaleel Ahmed were named as traveling reserves.
The mix of veteran players and fresh talents adds new dynamism to the current squad of the ongoing home test series against New Zealand. Also, the entire cricketing world is aware of Nitish and Harshit’s rise in the white ball cricket particularly in T20s.
Notably, Nitish Reddy is the only pace-bowling all-rounder in the squad whose presence can bolster the batting and bowling department.
Let’s have a quick review of these three youngsters who have sealed their spot in India’s test squad and grabbed the opportunity to spend time with the seasoned players, especially in a most prestigious series like the BGT 2024-25.
Abhimanyu Easwaran:
There are chances for Abhimanyu Easwaran to bat as an opener in Perth or Adelaide if the captain Rohit Sharma misses out early on two out of five matches in the series. The 29-year-old right-handed batter from the Bengal team in the Ranji Trophy has been part of India A match in Australia.
If Abhimanyu gets a chance, he will not only mark his international debut against the Aussies but also play his 100th appearance in first-class games as well. With 7,638 runs in 199 first-class innings and his consistency in scoring runs made selectors prefer him as the reserve opener’s slot over other talented players including the names Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, and Abhishek Sharma.
Overall, it is a challenge for the young cricketer to prove his talent in a high-profile contest and secure his spot in the playing XI among other key player such as Rohit, Yashasvi, Virat, Sarfaraz, Rahul, Rishabh, and Gill.
Harshit Rana:
As a tall fast bowler hailing from Delhi, Harshit Rana played a crucial role in his team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) success in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 where he took 19 wickets in 13 matches at an outstanding average of 20.15.
The uncapped cricketer could bolster the bowling attack with his height, pace, and ability to target the stumps with innovative variations.
In addition, Harshit has proven his abilities in the red-ball format by grabbing 21 wickets in five matches of the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 season. His unbeaten knock of 122 runs from 86 balls (including 12 fours and 9 sixes), guarantees his effective contributions with the bat at the lower order.
Although he lacks experience in red-ball cricket, the 22-year-old player gets a spot in the 18-member squad ahead of the traveling reserves Mukesh Kumar and Navdeep Saini.
Despite being a part of India’s squad in the T20I series against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, Harshit has not received a chance to make his debut in international cricket.
The year 2024 could turn out to be a memorable one for Rana if he gets an opportunity to be included in the playing XI against Australia in the BGT 2024-25.
Nitish Reddy:
The fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 303 runs and took 3 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2024. He made his T20 internationals (T20Is) debut against Bangladesh on 6th October 2024.
The 21-year-old batter has shown his consistency performing well in the middle order. His 34-ball-74 runs in the second T20I match against Bangladesh, which includes 4 fours and 7 sixes at a 217.65 strike rate as well as taking two wickets solidified his spot in India’s T20 squad.
Also, the Indian team management has been constantly searching for a pace-bowling all-rounder in test cricket who can strengthen the middle-order batting unit and provide additional support to key pacers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. As a result, the young talented cricketer from Andhra Pradesh could be the ideal choice to take up the dual roles.
Nitish’s flexibility to bat at the No.3 to 6 position as well as generate huge swing and pace with a speed of 130 km/hr and above, particularly with a new ball adds a new dimension to the batting and bowling line-up.
India’s 18-Member Squad for Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
Here is the complete list of Team India’s 18-member squad for their upcoming Australian tour of Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25:
Batters (7):
- Right-Handed Batters (6): Abhimanyu Easwaran, Rohit Sharma (captain), Sarfaraz Khan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli.
- Left-Handed Batters (1): Yashasvi Jaiswal
Pace Bowlers (5):
- Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-captain) Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep
All-rounders (4):
- Pace Bowling All-rounder (1): Nitish Kumar Reddy (Right Handed Batter)
- Spin Bowling All-rounder (3): Ravindra Jadeja (Left Handed Batter), Washington Sundar (Left Handed Batter) and Ravichandran Ashwin (Right Handed Batter).
Wicketkeeper (2):
- Rishabh Pant (Left Handed Batter) and Dhruv Jurel (Right Handed Batter)