Karnataka's good domestic season resulted in as many as seven players being picked across the India and India 'A' squads here on Tuesday.
Karun Nair and K L Rahul featured in the Test team while Mayank Agarwal, who enjoyed a dream run in the Ranji and Vijay Hazare trophies, was named in the India 'A' four-day and one-day squads.
The India 'A' tour of England will begin with a one-day tri-series from June 22. India 'A' will then play three four-day games, one against the Lions from July 16-19 and two against the West Indies.
Agarwal has been knocking on the doors of the India side for quite a while now and MSK Prasad, chairman of the selection committee, said the series could decide Agarwal's chances of playing for the senior team.
"This series should tell us where he stands when it comes to getting runs at that standard. We are very confident that he will really do well. Being the highest run-getter in India, we all wish that he should do really well. So he figures in both formats," Prasad said.
Prasidh picked
Young pacer Prasidh Krishna, who had a remarkable Vijay Hazare Trophy, was named in the India 'A' one-day squad. In the absence of senior pacers like R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Arvind, Prasidh stepped up to pick 17 wickets and play a major role in Karnataka's triumph.
"It feels great when your efforts gets noticed. With this selection, my responsibility has increased and I feel more motivated now. I want to keep working hard," said Prasidh, who is currently part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
Prasad said Prasidh's recent form has been impressive. "We kept track of him. On his own, he won matches for Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and he was one of the best bowlers of the tournament," he said.
Nair, who captained Karnataka to title in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, had a good limited overs domestic season. The right-handed batsman will look to make a mark in the middle-order after Rohit Sharma was left out. Nair will lead the India 'A' squad as well.
R Samarth's staggering consistency over the last three seasons made him an automatic choice in the India 'A' four-day squad while K Gowtham's fine show across all formats was rewarded with a place in the India 'A' one-day side.
In the senior set up, Rahul is back in the ODI squad while Manish Pandey retained his spot in the T20Is.