Raina Dropped, Dhoni to Lead Second-String Team in Zimbabwe
Lots of domestic performance-based selections.
India’s squads for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe and the home series against West Indies were announced on Monday.
Despite reports to the contrary, MS Dhoni has chosen to travel to Zimbabwe for the 3 T20 and 3 ODI series and will lead a young side in the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin and Shikhar Dhawan who have played non-stop cricket for the last six months.
Suresh Raina though has been dropped from the limited-overs team that starts their tour of Zimbabwe on June 11. Based on their domestic performances though, Vidarbha opener Faiz Faisal, Punjab batsman Mandeep Singh and Haryana spin duo of Jayant Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have earned a spot in the touring party.
This will be India’s last limited-overs outing before they start playing 17 Test matches on the trot, leading up to March 2017.
India’s Test Series vs West Indies
Following the 6 match Zimbabwe series, the Indian team will don the white uniform as Virat Kohli takes the helm for the four-match Test series against the West Indies.
Ajinkya Rahane has been named his vice-captain with selectors mostly retaining the team that faced South Africa at home. Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur is the one new face in the side, rewarded for his consistent performance in the domestic circuit where he’s taken 41 wickets in 11 matches for Mumbai at an average of 24.51. His best figures in an innings were six for 107.
With Mohammed Shami fit again, Varun Aaron has been left out even as senior players like Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, performing well in the ongoing IPL failed to find favor with the selectors;
The dates of the West Indies tour in mid July are yet to be finalized.
(More to follow)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)