Puducherry: Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge has been named as Hardik Pandya’s replacement in the India A squad for the unofficial ODI series against Australia A, which begins here on Tuesday. Hardik has suffered a fresh injury setback. Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain of the India A side, while Devdutt Padikkal has been appointed vice-captain. The squad also includes Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Sai Sudharsan and Yash Thakur.
Hardik was scheduled to feature in the three-match series in Puducherry, but another fitness setback has interrupted his comeback after five months of fitness concerns. He is experiencing pain in the front portion of his leg, which is causing discomfort while bowling.
Like Hardik, Suryansh Shedge is also a pace-bowling all-rounder. He recently made his India debut and has played three T20Is for the national team. During June and July, Shedge featured in one T20I each against Ireland, England and Zimbabwe. In the IPL, he has played 12 matches for Punjab Kings and scored a total of 165 runs.
In June, Shedge smashed 72 runs off 66 balls for India A against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla. His innings included two sixes and three fours. The match ended in a tie, with Sri Lanka A eventually winning the contest in the Super Over.
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