Zal Irani Trophy, 2006

Ganguly fails to make it to Rest of India squad

Anand Vasu

October 4, 2006

Is it the end of the road for Sourav Ganguly who has been excluded from the Rest of India squad? © Getty Images

Wasim Jaffer will lead the Rest of India team in the Zal Irani Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh, who won the Ranji Trophy last year, from October 9-13. Y Venugopala Rao, who led India Red in the Challenger Series, will be the vice-captain. Sourav Ganguly, who only managed 24 and 3 in his comeback bid, does not find a place in the team.

Of those who starred in the Challenger Series Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and S Badrinath make it to the squad, while there's no place for Parthiv Patel, whose batting has been a revelation. Patel batted energetically and sensibly, scoring in both the opportunities he got, but has been eclipsed by Dinesh Karthik, who has also impressed, both behind and in front of the stumps.

An interesting selection is that of the 20-year-old chinaman bowler from Hyderabad, Pragyan Ojha. He has taken 33 wickets from 7 Ranji Trophy matches at an average of 26, and if the pitch at Nagpur takes turn Ojha may well find himself partnering Murali Kartik, who is another cricketer who performed well in the Challenger Series, bowling with control and accuracy.

Another cricketer whose name has been doing the rounds, and who gets a look in, is Vijaykumar Yomahesh, the young mediumpacer from Tamil Nadu. Yomahesh has picked up wickets in various age-group tournaments, and people in the know suggest that he could well be destined for bigger things.

VRV Singh, who bowled with good pace and rhythm in the Challenger Series, will lead the Rest of India pace attack. It came as no surprise that neither Ashish Nehra nor Lakshmipathy Balaji, who both blew more cold than hot in comeback attempts, found a place in the side.

Rest of India Wasim Jaffer (capt), Y Venugopala Rao (vice-capt), Robin Uthappa, S Badrinath, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik (wk), VRV Singh, Sreesanth, Zaheer Khan, Murali Kartik, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma, Sourashish Lahiri, V Yomahesh.

Anand Vasu is assistant editor of Cricinfo

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Sreesanth out of Irani Trophy

Little to play for really

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Sourav Ganguly

Pragyan Ojha

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