Tweet
Indian squad for asia cup
Out-of-form Yuvraj Singh was axed while Sachin Tendulkar wanted some rest as the national cricket selectors here Monday picked a 15-member squad for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
The selectors were forced to drop Yuvraj after a series of poor performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the World Twenty20 while Tendulkar had sought a break to spend time with his children, ahead of the hectic season ahead.
“Sachin Tendulkar requested the Board not to consider him for the Asia Cup, as he wanted to spend time with his children, in view of the hectic cricket season ahead,” board secretary N. Srinivasan said in a statement.
Wicket-keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, all-rounder Yusuf Pathan and leg-spinner Amit Mishra were also dropped while opener Virender Sehwag returned to the squad and will be the vice-captain. Mishra was replaced by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha.
Twenty-year-old Jharkhand captain Saurabh Tiwary, who was impressive in the Indian Premier League (IPL), along with Bengal pacer Ashok Dinda were included in the team.
Seniors like pacer Zaheer Khan, opener Gautam Gambhir and spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh, who were rested for the triangular series in Zimbabwe, were included. Tamil Nadu off-spinner R Ashwin, who is also a decent batsman, has been retained in the squad.
The Asia Cup will be played in Sri Lanka June 15-24 and will also feature Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Ashok Dinda, R. Ashwin and Saurabh Tiwary.
