The Call-Up: Shikhar Mohan, a 21-year-old left-handed batter from Jharkhand, has been added to the India A squad. Replacement Role: Mohan will join the squad for the second and third four-day matches against New Zealand A, directly replacing KL Rahul, who is set to join the senior India ODI team after playing just the opening fixture. Recent Form & Domestic Success Ranji Trophy Pacing: Mohan earned his selection following a stellar run in first-class domestic competitions. During the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy, he scored 613 runs across 12 innings (averaging 55.72), which included a double-century. Strong Start to the New Season: He carried that momentum into the current season, racking up 297 runs at an average of 99.00 across two games, featuring a 143-run knock against Kerala and a 127-run innings against Maharashtra. Jansatta Prestigious Red-Ball Performative Matches: He also proved his mettle on bigger stages, hitting half-centuries in both innings for East Zone against South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final, followed by a 60-run knock for Rest of India against Jammu & Kashmir in the Irani Cup. Tour Context Series Schedule: The three-match four-day series begins in Lincoln on October 26, with subsequent matches scheduled in Christchurch and back in Lincoln. Broader Window: The tour runs concurrently with the senior team's white-ball series in New Zealand ahead of the official Test series starting on November 19. India A squad for four-day series vs New Zealand A Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, R Smaran, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Dhruv Jurel (c & wk), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, B Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Mohan