Suryavanshi got the first India

Talented young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi was on Thursday included in the 15-member India A squad for the triangular 50-over series in Sri Lanka starting from June 9.

Apart from the host team, the other team in the tournament is Afghanistan A. The matches will be played in Dambulla. India will also play two multi-day (4-day) ‘Tests’ in A Galle but the squad for that will be announced later.

It is understood that Suryavanshi has been included as the selectors wanted to give him a chance to test him in the Pathways team (India A) before being selected in the senior team for the upcoming tour of the United Kingdom (Ireland and England) starting from June 26. The tri-nation series will conclude on June 21.

A look at the 15-member team shows that the average age of the team is around 23 years. Only fast bowlers Arshad Khan, Yudhveer Singh and Yash Thakur are above 25 years of age. No player in the team is above 30 and all have performed well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (National One Day Championship) apart from earning contracts with IPL teams.

Apart from Tilak and vice-captain Riyan Parag, who have been mainstays for MI and Rajasthan Royals respectively, Suryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Suryansh Shedge (both PBKS), Harsh Dubey (SRH), Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan (both GT), Badoni (LSG) have been regular members of the first team at various points during this edition of the IPL.

In the squad, Anshul Kamboj (Test), Riyan Parag and Tilak Verma (T20I and ODI) have already played for the senior team, while Ayush Badoni was selected in the Indian team earlier this year, although he did not get any games.

Tilak has previously led the India A team while Arya scored a century against Australia A last year.

The spinners include Dubey, Shedge, Vipraj Nigam while Prabhsimran and Kumar Kushagra are the two wicketkeepers.

India A will play Sri Lanka A (June 9 and 15) and Afghanistan A (June 11 and 17) twice and the top two teams will meet in the final on June 21.

India A team for tri-series: Tilak Verma (captain), Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag (vice-captain), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Harsh Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Yudhveer Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan.