The BCCI has begun full-scale preparations for India A’s upcoming tour of England, with the team scheduled to depart on May 25.

The tour, slated to get underway on May 30 in Canterbury, will include three four-day matches against the England Lions, offering valuable red-ball match practice before India’s senior team begins their five-Test series in England on June 20.

According to a TOI report, the Indian board has already reached out to a pool of players, gathered their passport details, and collected jersey sizes to speed up travel formalities.

The report further stated that players who won’t feature in the IPL 2025 playoffs will leave together in the first batch. Others will join once their IPL duties get over. This phased approach ensures players receive rest and recovery time after the IPL season.

As of now, the players likely to be part of India’s Test squad will only be flying in the first week of June and there is a high chance of some players appearing in the second unofficial Test before the intra-squad game.

Several Test players have reportedly expressed interest in playing at least one unofficial four-day match as they aim to get red-ball exposure in English conditions before the marquee series. However, their availability will depend on how far their IPL franchises progress and necessary clearances from the medical team.

This approach ensures players receive rest and recovery time after a gruelling season of IPL, also meaning that the Test squad players will leave in batches in the first week of June.

In a similar move during the 2024–25 Australia tour, the BCCI sent Dhruv Jurel and KL Rahul early to gain red-ball match time with the A squad Down Under. Same strategy could be followed this time around as well, especially for players new to English conditions.

Apart from India and India A teams, India U-19, the women's team and the mixed disability team would all be in England during the summer.

(With TOI Inputs)