'I'm close to becoming that best version' - Aman Mokhade eyes strong India A showing against Australia A

Aman Mokhade has emerged as one of the standout performers in Indian domestic cricket during the 2025-26 season. The 25-year-old from Nagpur, Maharashtra, has impressed across formats with consistent run-scoring and a rapid rise through the ranks. His selection in the India A squad for the home series against Australia A marks another significant milestone in his career trajectory.

Mokhade's domestic season has been remarkable across all three formats. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he became the fastest Indian to reach 1000 List A runs in 2025-26. During the Ranji Trophy, he accumulated 760 runs in 11 innings at an average exceeding 75, including two substantial centuries.

He scored 183 off 308 balls against Nagaland and 176 off 312 balls against Jharkhand. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he registered three fifties across seven innings, demonstrating his ability to perform consistently across different match formats. Speaking about his readiness for the India A challenge, Mokhade expressed cautious optimism about his development as a cricketer.

"I wouldn't say I'm the best version of myself yet. I'm close to becoming that best version after the previous domestic season. But I'm a keen learner and want to keep upgrading myself. As a batter, especially opening batter, you will have to adapt to the conditions. Yes, I'm looking forward to this A series and hope to score as many runs as I can and give my best in whatever games I get. Australia are always a strong team, so it's a nice challenge for me," said Mokhade as quoted by Cricinfo.

The India A squad for the home series against Australia A was announced on September 9, 2026, with the red-ball matches set to begin in Puducherry on September 22. Mokhade has already tasted India A cricket during the tour to Sri Lanka in July, where he made his debut for the national team's second XI.

He also featured in the Duleep Trophy for Central Zone, though he could not convert his starts into substantial scores against Sri Lanka A in Galle and in the East Zone match in Bengaluru. Those early experiences have provided him with valuable exposure to the India A environment and the standards required at that level.

"Being on my first A tour to Sri Lanka, the Indian team environment was very lively and I didn't feel as if I'm a newcomer or something. The coaches also knew about my game and it helps you get through the initial phase. The level of cricket - I didn't feel much of a difference because the Indian domestic circuit is very strong," said Mokhade.

"If you perform here, you will be able to perform against international bowlers too at higher levels. So, that's the kind of confidence you get by performing in domestic cricket. Having Harsh (Dubey) around also helped in getting through some jitters I had before the game. I played a lot of age-group cricket with Harsh and it's nice when you have someone from your childhood during these important games," he added.

Learning from red-ball specialists

Mokhade's ability to bat long and accumulate runs has been shaped by his background in Vidarbha cricket. His development as a red-ball batter has been significantly influenced by senior players in the Vidarbha setup. Karun Nair, his former team-mate, played a crucial role in helping Mokhade refine his approach to Test cricket.

Despite limited opportunities in the Vidarbha team earlier due to the presence of established professionals like Nair and Dhruv Shorey, Mokhade used those periods to learn from the sidelines. His determination and hard work during the off-season eventually paid dividends when he got his opportunity in the Ranji Trophy.

"Over the years, I have developed the habit of batting for long and scoring big runs in age-group cricket. When you come from Vidarbha, in the age groups you have two-three batsmen who have to take responsibility on themselves to take your team to a good total. When I was growing up, we didn't have that many batters in our team. So I, as a batter, it was my responsibility to take the team through. So it helped me to play spinners a bit more easily and when the ball becomes old, that time also I learnt how to play and how to take on my innings as long as I can," said Mokhade.

Adapting between formats

Mokhade's selection in the India A squad includes fellow Vidarbha players Yash Rathod, Praful Hinge and Nachiketa Bhute. The squad is led by Devdutt Padikkal with Sai Sudharsan as vice-captain. Beyond the India A opportunity, Mokhade has also attracted attention from IPL franchises, having attended trials with multiple teams and participated in the Delhi Capitals camp ahead of the IPL 2027 auction. The Australia A series will provide him with a crucial platform to demonstrate his credentials at a higher level of competition.

"I have been in the Vidarbha team for three-four years now, but I didn't get many chances earlier. But you also get a chance to learn from the senior players [on the sidelines]. When Karun bhai was in our team, he helped me a lot with my red-ball batting and I was very determined to do well in the Ranji Trophy and worked hard for it during the off-season," said Mokhade.

"It was about making some micro-changes from white-ball cricket to red-ball cricket. I feel red-ball cricket is more of playing the ball a little bit closer to your body and bat tight. White-ball cricket is more about getting into good positions and letting your hands do the work. Between the tournaments, like after phase one of Ranji, you hardly get five days to prepare for the [Syed] Mustaq Ali Trophy. You need to be prepared for the switch and it's something I still work on during the off-season," he added.