5 reasons why A tours are important for India
On June 29, the BCCI announced the India A squads for the tour of South Africa. India’s cricketing calendar is already quite packed and hence one might question the need for these A tours.
However, these tours have proven to be highly beneficial for Indian cricket in the past and have helped improve young cricketers’ skills and talent. The experience of playing in these tours helped players like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya transition smoothly to the senior team.
Also read: 5 players that graduated to play for Team India from the India A squad
On that note, here are five reasons why ‘A’ tours are beneficial.
#5 It prepares youngsters for challenges of international cricket
In 2016, against England, Jayant Yadav scored his maiden Test hundred in his only third Test match. His off-spin bowling was impressive as well. In the same Test series, Karun Nair replaced the injured Ajinkya Rahane and slammed a magnificent triple-century in only his third innings. What was amazing to see was the ease with which the two cricketers settled into international cricket.
The reason for their smooth transition was the experience they gained by playing in India A matches over the last few years.
‘A’ tours help young cricketers get some much-needed match practice, thus helping them prepare for the rigours of international cricket.