Suryansh Shedge joins India A squad for Australia A ODIs, replaces injured Hardik Pandya
Synopsis
Hardik Pandya is out, Suryansh Shedge is in — and the 23-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder now has a direct audition for the all-rounder slot in the India A squad facing Australia A in Puducherry. With Naman Dhir also pulled away for the West Indies T20Is, the squad reshuffle ahead of a busy Test window reveals just how stretched India's all-rounder options currently are.
Key Takeaways
Suryansh Shedge has been added to the India A squad as a replacement for Hardik Pandya , who was ruled out with right medial tibial stress syndrome.
Pandya suffered right calf discomfort on 19 September ; an MRI confirmed very mild intramedullary edema.
Shedge, 23 , had been recovering from a quadriceps injury at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru .
The three-match India A vs Australia A ODI series is scheduled for 6, 9, and 11 October in Puducherry , captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad .
Naman Dhir will miss the series after being called up to India's T20I squad for the West Indies series as Washington Sundar's replacement.
Shedge's inclusion means he will miss Mumbai's Ranji Trophy opener vs Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium on 11 October .
Seam-bowling all-rounder Suryansh Shedge has been drafted into the India A squad as a replacement for injured Hardik Pandya ahead of the three-match one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry, with the series set to begin on Tuesday, 7 October 2025. Pandya, who was originally named in the squad last month subject to fitness clearance, was ruled out after suffering discomfort in his right calf on 19 September.
Pandya's Injury and Shedge's Call-Up
An MRI scan confirmed that Hardik Pandya has very mild intramedullary edema, a condition equivalent to right medial tibial stress syndrome. His withdrawal opened the door for Shedge, who himself had been recovering from a quadriceps injury at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. 'Shedge has joined the India A squad as a replacement for injured Hardik. Shedge had a quadriceps injury and was recovering from it at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru,' a source tracking developments said.
Who Is Suryansh Shedge
The 23-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder made his international debut during India's T20I tour of Ireland in June 2026 and has since featured in T20I series against England and Zimbabwe, though he is yet to claim a wicket at that level. He previously impressed in the India A 50-over tri-series in Sri Lanka in June, accumulating 147 runs across five matches while picking up two wickets in 23 overs, signalling his growing credentials as a genuine white-ball all-rounder.
Ripple Effects: Shedge, Dhir and Sundar
Shedge's inclusion in the India A squad means he will miss Mumbai's opening Ranji Trophy fixture against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium, scheduled to begin on 11 October. Meanwhile, middle-order batter Naman Dhir will also be absent from the Australia A series after being drafted into India's T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against the West Indies — himself a replacement for Washington Sundar. Sundar, the off-spin bowling all-rounder and Asian Games gold medal winner, has been released from the T20I squad to play Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu as part of his preparation for the Test series against New Zealand in November.
Schedule and Squad Details
Ruturaj Gaikwad will captain the India A side in the 50-over matches on 6, 9, and 11 October. The first match will start at 2 PM with gates opening at 1 PM, while the second and third matches will begin at 9 AM. The updated India A squad reads: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Priyansh Arya, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal (vice-captain), Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Gurjapneet Singh, Yash Thakur, and Suryansh Shedge. With Pandya's fitness a recurring concern, Shedge's performances in this series will be closely watched as a potential long-term contender for the all-rounder's slot.
Point of View
And his lack of wickets at the international level means the bowling half of his all-rounder billing remains unproven. The simultaneous loss of Dhir to the T20I squad further thins the middle-order depth in a series that was supposed to double as red-ball preparation for the New Zealand Tests. India A tours are increasingly doubling as triage camps rather than structured pathways — a structural concern the BCCI's selection philosophy has yet to fully address.
NationPress
4 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Suryansh Shedge called up to India A for the Australia A ODI series?
Shedge was drafted into the India A squad as a direct replacement for Hardik Pandya, who was ruled out with very mild intramedullary edema — equivalent to right medial tibial stress syndrome — after suffering right calf discomfort on 19 September. Shedge had himself been recovering from a quadriceps injury at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru before being cleared to join the squad.
What is Hardik Pandya's injury and how serious is it?
Pandya experienced discomfort in his right calf on 19 September, and an MRI scan subsequently revealed very mild intramedullary edema, a condition medically equivalent to right medial tibial stress syndrome. He was ruled out of the India A squad for the Australia A one-day series as a result.
When and where is the India A vs Australia A ODI series being played?
The three-match one-day series between India A and Australia A is scheduled in Puducherry on 6, 9, and 11 October. The first match begins at 2 PM with gates opening at 1 PM, while the second and third games start at 9 AM.
Who is captaining India A in the Australia A ODI series?
Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the India A side, with Devdutt Padikkal serving as vice-captain. The squad also features players such as Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Prabhsimran Singh, and the newly added Suryansh Shedge.
What is Washington Sundar's role amid these squad changes?
Washington Sundar was originally part of India's T20I squad for the West Indies series but has been released to play Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu as preparation for the Test series against New Zealand in November. Naman Dhir was drafted into the T20I squad as his replacement, which in turn removed Dhir from availability for the India A vs Australia A ODI series.
