KL Rahul will play for India A in the second unofficial Test against England Lions. Abhimanyu Easwaran-led India A will face England A at the County Ground in Northampton from June 6 to 9, and according to a report in Times of India on Monday, June 2, the 32-year-old right-handed batter from Karnataka will play in that fixture. Rahul, who in all likelihood will open the innings for India in the upcoming five-match series against England along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, is set to leave for England on Monday. He had requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to advance his departure. “Rahul opted to play the India A match in England, preferring competitive match time over training in rain-hit Mumbai, where he now primarily resides,” the report read. While Rahul is all set to play for India A, newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill and his GT teammate B Sai Sudharsan will miss the second unofficial Test. The duo were scheduled to face the England Lions in Northampton as part of their preparations for a high-voltage series against England but will now travel to England with the rest of the Indian teammates on June 6 itself. “Both Sai and Gill have been training with the red ball over the last few days. After a long tournament, they need some rest and recovery,” a source told TOI. Gill, Sai, and the rest of the Indian squad will now only get match practice during a four-day intra-squad game at Beckenham from June 16. It has also been reported that Gill will address a pre-departure press conference in Mumbai along with India head coach Gautam Gambhir. Gill was appointed as India’s new Test captain on May 24. He will become the 37th player to lead India in the five-day format of the game when India takes on England in the first Test of the five-match series in Leeds. Gill was preferred for the top job over the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect on May 7. Gill has captained India in five T20I matches in the past against Zimbabwe and won four of them.