T20 World Cup 2026: India A squad for warm-up match vs USA announced, Ayush Badoni named captain

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has officially revealed India A’s squad for the upcoming warm-up fixtures of the T20 World Cup 2026, where they will be kicking off their campaign against the United States of America on February 2 in Navi Mumbai. All-rounder Ayush Badoni has been named the captain of the side, which also includes India internationals Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag, Ravi Bishnoi, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mayank Yadav.

After playing their first warm-up match against the American nation, Badoni & Co. will also be taking on Namibia in an unofficial match on Friday, February 6, at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru.

The match will hold great relevance for Tilak Varma, as the star batter is expected to hit the field for the first time after undergoing a testicular torsion surgery. Tilak, who is also a part of the senior squad for the twenty-team tournament, is likely to rediscover full fitness, and thus, some game time in a warm-up against the Americans will help the Hyderabad-born.

Riyan is also returning after recovering from his shoulder injury. Meanwhile, pacer Mayank Yadav will also be seen playing highly competitive cricket after nearly nine months. The Uttar Pradesh cricketer had last played a professional match during IPL 2025 in May. Khaleel Ahmed and Gurjapneet Singh are the other two mainstay pacers in the India A squad.

The team is likely to open with Priyansh Arya and Naman Dhir, while Narayan Jagadeesan, Tilak, and Ashutosh Sharma are expected to play key roles in the batting unit. Apart from Jagadeesan, Urvil Patel is another wicketkeeper-batter in the 15-member squad. Upcoming IPL star Ashok Sharma has also been included, whereas all-rounder Manav Suthar will be contributing with his left-arm spin and crucial lower-order batting.

India A squad for T20 World Cup 2026 Warm-up fixtures

Ayush Badoni (captain), Naman Dhir, Ashutosh Sharma, Priyansh Arya, Manav Suthar, Narayan Jagadeesan, Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag, Ashok Sharma, Urvil Patel, Gurjapneet Singh, Vipraj Nigam, Ravi Bishnoi, Khaleel Ahmed, Mayank Yadav