Mohammed Siraj and Nitish Kumar Reddy will join India A for their respective four-day matches against New Zealand A as India prepare for the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand, beginning November 19. The fixtures will provide both players with valuable red-ball practice ahead of the international series, while fast bowler Prasidh Krishna is targeting a return to action after being sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Siraj will join India A for the second four-day match, which begins on October 31. Nitish, meanwhile, will remain with the senior Indian squad for the opening ODI against New Zealand on November 4 before joining India A for the third and final four-day fixture. The schedule will allow the all-rounder to balance his white-ball commitments with preparations for the Test series.
Siraj has established himself as one of India’s key fast-bowling options in Test cricket, having taken 144 wickets in 48 appearances. His inclusion in the India A fixture is expected to help him regain rhythm and maintain match readiness ahead of the New Zealand Tests. Nitish has scored 396 runs and taken eight wickets in 10 Test matches, including a maiden Test century against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Nitish last played a Test against South Africa in Guwahati in November 2025, scoring 10 runs in India’s first innings and finishing with bowling figures of 0/49. He has also featured in India’s ongoing white-ball campaign against New Zealand. In the second T20I in Christchurch, he scored an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls and combined with Tilak Varma in a match-winning partnership, while also taking a wicket. The India A match will give him another opportunity to spend time in the middle before returning to the longest format.
Prasidh Krishna is also expected to join India A for the final four-day match against New Zealand A as he works towards regaining full fitness. The pacer sustained a hamstring injury during the ODI series against the West Indies and has been ruled out of the upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand. His participation in the India A fixture will depend on clearing the required Return to Play assessment.
India A’s updated squad for the second four-day match includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Rathod, R. Smaran, captain and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Siraj, Akash Deep, Shikhar Mohan, Mukesh Choudhary, Mukesh Kumar, Manav Suthar and wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra. The fixtures are expected to help India’s players build match fitness ahead of the two-Test series, while Prasidh’s possible return could strengthen the team’s pace-bowling options.