5 India 'A' players to watch out for in South Africa ft. Sarfaraz Khan

Alongside the Indian Test team touring South Africa, the 'A' team will also play a couple of four-day games on the tour. Some players from the Test squad will also feature in those games as a preparation for the Test series.

However, there are several interesting names in the India A squad, who can look at this as an opportunity to perform and make a strong case in their quest of getting into the Test team.

After some impressive domestic performances, these players have an opportunity to perform and get from the fringes of the team into the radar of the selectors. On that note, let's take a look at five such players, who might be closely watched by many in the cricketing fraternity:

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#5 Abhimanyu Easwaran

A player who has been on the fringes of the Indian Test team for quite some time, Abhimanyu Easwaran has been a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket. In 88 first-class games, Easwaran has scored a staggering 6567 runs at an average of 47.24 with as many as 22 hundreds to his name.

Easwaran also had an incredible 2022/23 Ranji Trophy season, scoring 798 runs in eight matches at a fantastic average of 66.50. Having performed so well, many feel Easwaran is unfortunate not to have got his Test cap yet. However, this is another opportunity for him to prove his mettle.

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#4 Tilak Varma

Ever since Tilak Varma made it to IPL, there has been a lot of talk about how sound his technique is. Even captain Rohit Sharma said he sees an all-format player in Tilak, which is quite a massive compliment.

The southpaw has played just nine first-class games in which he has scored 523 runs. However, India would love to have a left-handed prospect in the middle order in the future, not to forget his ability with the ball.

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#3 Vidwath Kaverappa

The Indian pace bowling has been on the rise in Test cricket over the past few years, with the likes of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj showing they are world-class time and again. With Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav in the twilight of their careers, the selectors may look at the future of fast bowling and Vidhwath Kaverappa is one such name making rounds.

In just 13 first-class games, Kaverappa has picked up a staggering 52 wickets already at an average of just 18.25. He is also just 24 years of age and an impressive outing for India A will only help him get propelled into the Test team going forward.

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#2 Prasidh Krishna

Injuries have hampered Prasidh Krishna's rise, but the selectors have still kept their faith in him as he has been named in the Test squad against South Africa. Being a tall bowler, Prasidh will be able to get extra bounce and that could be a point of difference on South African pitches.

49 wickets in just 11 first-class matches show what Prasidh can do when at his best. Just like Kaverappa, the team will benefit if Prasidh Krishna does well. His performances for India A will also give his confidence a boost in case he plays a role in the two Tests.

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#1 Sarfaraz Khan

There has been a lot of talk about how Sarfaraz Khan remains on the fringe of the Indian Test team, despite having an incredible past few seasons in the Ranji Trophy.

With almost Bradmanesque numbers in domestic red-ball cricket, Sarfaraz continued to prove that he was already head and shoulders above others at the Ranji level. However, he will now have to show consistency for the India A team as well.

With the Indian middle order likely to be rebuilt in the near future, Sarfaraz has a great chance to perform in the challenging conditions in South Africa and prove that he is more than ready to make his Test debut.