Veteran opener Gautam Gambhir is to be released by the India team management as the selection committee of the DDCA has named him in the 16-member Delhi squad for the Ranji Trophy match against Rajasthan.
Ishant Sharma, who is also not in the XI at the ongoing Vizag Test, has been named as the 16th member but the selection committee is not sure whether he would be released as fast bowlers are normally kept back for net duty.
The Ranji game, beginning November 21 at Wayanad in Kerala, will feature Shikhar Dhawan, who is making a comeback after recovering from a thumb injury.
“The selectors have spoken to Gautam and he has expressed his interest in playing the next round encounter as he will be getting valuable match time. That’s the reason we have named Gautam in the squad. In case, we don’t get him, we have kept Himmat Singh as cover,” a member of the selection panel was quoted as saying.
The DDCA has not yet named the skipper and the official added that current skipper Unmukt Chand had told the selectors he would like Gambhir to lead.
The meeting was attended by Nikhil Chopra, Atul Wassan, Robin Singh Junior along with coach K.P. Bhaskar, Chand and co-convenor Siddharth Sahib Singh.
Squad: Gautam Gambhir, Unmukt Chand, Shikhar Dhawan, Dhruv Shorey, Milind Kumar, Nitish Rana, Rishabh Pant, Manan Sharma, Pradeep Sangwan, Navdeep Saini, Sumit Narwal, Vikas Tokas, Sarthak Ranjan, Pulkit Narang, Varun Sood, Ishant Sharma. Standby: Himmat Singh.
