5 Indian players who missed out on the India A squad for the South Africa A series

India’s selectors have named a fresh-looking India A squad for the four-day matches against South Africa A. This is a list that underlines one thing clearly: the door to the national pathway is open, but it’s a tight, tactical process. The BCCI release and match reports show several surprising absences, and among them are five recognisable names who’ll have to wait longer for a comeback push. Here are those five names.

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1. Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz’s recent domestic numbers make his omission headline news. But selection pieces and local reports suggest a mix of reasons. The India A squad for the four-day games has been built around specific wicketkeeping/batting permutations and a few players were chosen to try different batting slots. 

Sarfaraz’s exclusion has also been linked to a recent fitness niggle and the selectors’ view on where he fits in the longer-term Test plan, especially at No. 3, which is a slot the board is still trying to settle. The media reaction underlines how precarious selection can be for players on the fringe.

2. Mohammed Shami

Shami’s absence is again a name of a big surprise in context. He has been a part of India’s senior seam battery for a long time, and the India A setup is being used to blood younger seam options and give red-ball time to those pushing for Test spots. 

That being kept in mind, he has not been picked up for either of these teams, which has kept the fans guessing about the reason behind the BCCI’s decision for the same. He has been a proven match-winner, but somehow the board just doesn’t seem to get impressed by him. The India A pacer list for the series confirms the board’s preference to test other candidates in those roles.

3. Ishan Kishan

Ishan remains a high-impact white-ball player, but the India A four-day selection clearly prioritised specialist keepers and younger batters earmarked for the longer format. The A squad’s wicketkeeper choices and the push to give longer red-ball minutes to other keepers indicate why Ishan, whose IPL value and T20/ODI pedigree are strong, didn’t feature. 

For a player like Ishan, the path back to longer formats often runs through sustained domestic red-ball runs rather than A-team white-ball rotation. He does not seem to be in the scheme of things for the selection committee.

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4. Rinku Singh

Rinku’s rise in the IPL has made him a household name, and KKR retained him heavily ahead of IPL-2025, reflecting his value in short formats. But selectors building a red-ball A squad were focused on players with a defined first-class workload and long-format technique. 

Rinku’s omission looks tactical as he’s a white-ball specialist who will be fast-tracked into limited-overs India when needed, while the A team’s remit for this series is to test players for Test readiness. Hence, similar to Ishan Kishan, he did not find a place.

5. Karun Nair 

Karun’s recent domestic resurgence (strong Vijay Hazare and other domestic numbers) put him back on the map. Still, selectors appear to have used this India A window to blood younger players and wicketkeeping/batting combinations for the Test-preparation cycle. He could not impress the team with his performances in England, and now seems to be out of the idea.

Karun’s case shows an uncomfortable truth that excellent domestic white-ball form doesn’t automatically translate into an A-team slot intended to build Test depth. The board seems to be prioritising players they want to groom specifically for the red ball.

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