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The former Saurashtra captain and one of the batting coaches at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Sitanshu Kotak has been handed the charge of India A squad currently touring Bangladesh for two four-day fixtures.
Kotak will be assisted by Troy Cooley and T Dilip, the national team's fielding coach. Kotak will be part of the India A coaching staff in the absence of VVS Laxman. Dilip was given a short break following India's T20 World Cup campaign in Australia, and will now travel with India A squad and then join the national side for the Tests against Bangladesh. The changes in the coaching set-up for India A side were required since their coach VVS Laxman, along with his support staff of Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Sairaj Bahutule, are with the senior India side in New Zealand. Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav have been added to India A squad for the Bangladesh tour ahead of the national team's two-match Test series next month. Abhimanyu Easwaran, the Bengal opener, will lead the India A team. The veteran players Umesh and Pujara will feature in the second four-day match leading up to the first Test in Chottogram on December 14.KS Bharat will also join India A squad ahead of the second four-day fixture from December 6 to 9 in Sylhet. The opening four-day game will be held in Cox's Bazaar from November 9 to December 2. On the other hand, Kerala's Rohan Kunnummal received the maiden India A call-up. The 24-year-old batter has slammed four hundred in nine first-class innings this year alone. The young and prolific pair of Yash Dhull and Yashasvi Jaiswal were not left behind and also made the cut, alongside Baroda's seam-bowling allrounder Atit Sheth, who bagged 13 wickets in three Ranji Trophy matches this year. Tilak Varma, who scored a century in his maiden red-ball match against New Zealand A, remains in the middle order alongside Sarfaraz Khan, another prolific run-getter in domestic cricket. Mukesh Kumar, who was the joint leading wicket-taker in the three games, is also retained, along with left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar. Saurabh will head the spin attack alongside Jayant Yadav and Rahul Chahar, while Umesh (just in the second game), Navdeep Saini, Sheth, and Mukesh will form the pace attack. India A squad for 1st four-day game: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Rohan Kunnummal, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yash Dhull, Sarfaraz Khan, Tilak Varma, Upendra Yadav (wk), Saurabh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini and Atit Sheth. India A squad for 2nd four-day game: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Rohan Kunnummal, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yash Dhull, Sarfaraz Khan, Tilak Varma, Upendra Yadav (wk), Saurabh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Atit Sheth, Cheteshwar Pujara, Umesh Yadav and KS Bharat (wk). (ANI)
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