After a string of low scores in List A as well as first-class games, talented opener Unmukt Chand will like to make amends as he leads India A against New Zealand A in the opening encounter of the three match One Day series here tomorrow.
The India A's one day squad is quite different to the one which played two 'Tests' against the Kiwis. The likes of Manprit Juneja, Vijay Zol and Abhishek Nayar, who scored centuries in those two first-class games are not a part of the limited overs side.
Instead, there will be Karnataka dasher Robin Uthappa -- a 'veteran' of 38 ODIs and 11 T20 International, is expected to open the batting with Chand, who will be equally desperate to get a substancial score under his belt.
Uthappa recently hired former India batsman Praveen Amre as his personal coach and also flew down to Mumbai to train under the latter.
The middle-order has some flashy yet exciting players like former India U-19 captain and Rajasthan left-hander Ashok Menaria, Maharashtra's pint-sized hard-hitter Kedar Jadhav and the immensely talented wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson, who has been the find for Rajasthan Royals during the last edition.
The Indian bowling attack will be led by Dhawal Kulkarni, with Vidarbha's Shrikant Wagh, Punjab's Sandeep Sharma and Odisha's Basant Mohanty being the other option. The lanky Odisha seamer Mohanty has been very consistent for his state as well as for East Zone during past couple of seasons.
While off-spinner all-rounder Jalaj Saxena will be manning the spin department, the lanky leg-spinner Rahul Sharma will like to keep Sandeep Patil and Co interested in him with a long season coming ahead.