Chris Woakes set to return for England Lions in matches against India A

England Cricket Board (ECB) recently announced their squad for the England Lions for two matches to be played against India A. Star pacer Chris Woakes features in the squad as he prepares to make his much-awaited return after overcoming an ankle injury. Notably, Woakes has been out of action since January 2025. The upcoming matches are scheduled to begin on May 30 and will conclude on June 6.

Among other notable names, the rising Somerset wicketkeeper James Rew has also been named in the 15-man squad. For those unaware, Rew was recently named in England's squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe and will lead the Lions. Additionally, Jordan Cox, whom he replaced earlier — is also included in the side as he recovers from an abdominal injury.

Apart from them, the news is ripe that the young firepower Rocky Flintoff — son of legendary former all-rounder and Lions' coach Andrew Flintoff, and rising spinner Farhan Ahmed have also been named. Notably, Farhan is the brother of Rehan Ahmed, who is also part of the squad, with both brothers featuring together for the first time. Notably, Rehan will play in the first match only. Josh Hull, who last played against Sri Lanka, and all-rounder Dan Mousley, who played against the West Indies, also made it to the Lions squad.

Among these players, one big notable omission is Jofra Archer, who was ruled out of the Indian Premier League and has been left out of the squad. Archer is nursing a thumb injury and will therefore miss out this time. However, he is expected to be fit in time for England’s upcoming red-ball assignments.

"This series is a huge opportunity for an exciting and highly talented group of players," the ECB performance director for men's cricket, Ed Barney, was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"It will provide an opportunity both individually and collectively to excel on the international stage as we continue to succession plan for England's future needs," he added.

India A to play warm-up matches ahead of England series

Meanwhile, the two matches, which will be played across four days, will take place at Canterbury and Northampton. Following that, England will clash with India in a five-match Test series. The high-voltage fixtures will begin on 20 June. From the India camp, young stars like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal will feature in the India A squad.

England Lions squad vs India A

James Rew (C), Farhan Ahmed, Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, Rocky Flintoff, Emilio Gay, Tom Haines, George Hill, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Dan Mousley, Ajeet Singh Dale, and Chris Woakes.