Karnataka batsman Ravikumar Samarth has replaced Abhinav Mukund in the India A squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa.

Mukund was initially drafted into the team for two four-day matches against South Africa but would not be able to travel with the team since he has been named in the senior squad for the upcoming three-match Test series in Sri Lanka. The Tamil Nadu batsman has been included in the squad as the backup opener with KL Rahul and Murali Vijay set to open the innings for the team in the longest format of the game.

Samarth, meanwhile, has been rewarded for his brilliant performance in the last season of Ranji Trophy. The right-handed batsman, who was the only player from his team to cross the 700-run mark in the 2016-17 season, finished the season with 702 runs at an average of a shade below 47 including 1 double-century and four half-centuries.

“The BCCI informed us. He has been called up to the India ‘A’ four-day squad and he will replace Abhinav Mukund,” KSCA secretary Sudhakar Rao said on Monday (July 10).

Known for huge appetite for runs, Samarth first hogged the limelight when he almost single-handedly guided his team KSCA President’s XI to victory in the Safi Darashah All-India cricket tournament in 2013. He slammed six centuries, including five on the trot, to emerge the highest scorer of the tournament with a massive tally of 850 runs.

India A, meanwhile, will be led by Karun Nair before which the team will play a one-day series under the captaincy of Manish Pandey. The one-day series will begin from July 26 while the two unofficial Tests will be played from August 12 and August 19.