For now, it changes very little at Test level, though it does reshuffle the pecking order. Mohan is a back-up option rather than a leapfrog past Jaiswal, Rahul, Sudharsan or Padikkal. The 21-year-old left-hander from Jharkhand was summoned after Rahul departed for the one-day group, and his Ranji returns justify the attention. Selectors announced their New Zealand Test group without him, which makes the two remaining four-day matches against the hosts’ A side his audition. His age and his output make the call-up easy to understand.
A Rapid Rise Through Jharkhand’s Ranks
Mohan is a Ranchi native whose May 2005 birth makes him 21, and he only began his first-class career in October 2025. His maiden Ranji campaign yielded 613 runs from 12 innings, among them a score above 200 against Nagaland and a century versus Baroda. This season he is already on 297 after two games, built from 143 against Kerala and then 27 and 127 versus Maharashtra, which averages out at 99.00.
Big occasions have not unsettled him either. Turning out for East Zone at the Duleep Trophy final, he passed fifty in each innings, including 85 from 120 deliveries. A further 60 followed for the Rest of India side in the Irani Cup, so three different teams have already seen him score heavily within a year. That consistency is unusual for a player barely a year into his first-class life.
Shikhar Mohan India A Test opener 2026
The call came when India A needed a replacement for Rahul, who exited after the opening four-day game against New Zealand A to join the ODI party. Mohan covers the final two matches. The board offered no official explanation, and no selector has commented on who should open, so the switch looks like squad management rather than a statement of intent.
Evidence from Lincoln shows the slot is wide open. Jaiswal and Rahul both went early, yet Padikkal reached 199 and Sudharsan 91. At Christchurch, Sudharsan partnered Jaiswal on the opening morning, and Jaiswal was LBW without scoring. Nobody has confirmed that Mohan has taken the field in either fixture.
Competition for the Opening Slots
August’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka saw Jaiswal and Rahul open together, with Sudharsan kept as the spare opener. Padikkal argues his case from number three, backed by hundreds at Galle and Colombo. For the New Zealand Tests, starting at Wellington on 19 November and then Christchurch on 27 November, selectors included all four of them and left Mohan out.
Opener | Matches | Runs | Average | Hundreds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mohan | 12 | 1,109 | 61.61 | 4 |
Jaiswal | 50 | 4,867 | 55.30 | 17 |
Rahul | 121 | 9,097 | 45.48 | 26 |
Padikkal | 62 | 4,540 | about 45 | 12 |
Sudharsan | 42 | 3,004 | 42.91 | 10 |
The table uses first-class figures, with Jaiswal’s updated to 30 March 2026 and Sudharsan’s to 9 July 2026, so those two may have changed since.
Red-Ball Record Against White-Ball Numbers
Across 19 innings, Mohan’s tally stands at 1,109 first-class runs at 61.61, with four centuries, two apiece in the last two seasons. Seven Vijay Hazare Trophy matches in List A gave him 391 runs at 55.85, two centuries and a top score of 129. Those are good figures, but from a small sample, and no T20 data exists to weigh against them.
Experience is the obvious gap: 12 first-class games against Jaiswal’s 50 and Rahul’s 121. Yet the longer format flatters him more than the shorter one, which is the profile selectors want for Tests. That points to a long-range plan, not an immediate promotion. A bigger sample against quality bowling is what will turn a promising record into a case.
Next Steps on the New Zealand Tour
The match at Christchurch spans 31 October to 3 November, with the third four-day game at Lincoln between 7 and 10 November. Mohan therefore gets two matches to prove his Ranji output holds up against New Zealand A. Meanwhile, the selectors, who have already chosen Jaiswal, Rahul and Sudharsan as Test options, must still settle on the opening pair for Wellington.
Until a big score arrives, Shikhar Mohan, India A Test opener 2026, remains a story about potential, not a berth in the XI. One long hundred at Lincoln would start a conversation, but the incumbents have earned more patience than a few weeks of form can overturn.
Should the selectors fast-track Mohan if he scores heavily at Lincoln, or does the current opening group deserve a longer run?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Shikhar Mohan’s batting style and age?
At 21, Mohan is a Ranchi-born left-hander who opens the batting. His birth came in May 2005, and he first took the field at first-class level in October 2025, representing Jharkhand.
Who did Mohan replace in the India A squad?
He took KL Rahul’s place for the final two four-day games against New Zealand A. Rahul left after the opening match to join the ODI squad, and the board has not explained the change.
How many runs did Mohan score in his first Ranji season?
Mohan made 613 runs across 12 innings in his debut Ranji season. That haul featured an innings of 200-plus against Nagaland, plus another hundred against Baroda.
Is Shikhar Mohan in the Test party for the New Zealand series?
No, he was left out of the group chosen for the Test series. Jaiswal, Rahul, Sudharsan and Padikkal were picked, with the first match at Wellington on 19 November.
Which teams has Mohan represented in domestic cricket?
Mohan plays for Jharkhand, East Zone and the Rest of India. East Zone picked him for the Duleep Trophy final, and he hit 60 when representing the Rest of India at the Irani Cup.