Mayank Agarwal.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR Okay
Mayank Agarwal will lead the Karnataka staff in the opening two fixtures of the Ranji Trophy, in opposition to Punjab and Gujarat.
All-rounder Okay. Gowtham, who featured in the previous Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy white ball tournaments, has been left out. In the earlier version of the Ranji Trophy, Gowtham had completed as Karnataka’s highest wicket-taker alongside pacer V. Vyshak (31 wickets).
On the 36-year-old Gowtham’s exclusion, KSCA males’s choice committee chairman J. Abhiram said that the time has come to give youthful gamers a glance in.
“Gowtham has done very well for Karnataka over the years, but all players eventually have to move on. We have to keep the future in mind,” Abhiram mentioned.
Gowtham has lengthy been a mainstay in Karnataka’s red-ball facet. He has performed 59 First Class matches, taking 224 wickets together with his off-spin. A helpful bat with a penchant for the large hits, Gowtham additionally has one century and 5 fifties.
The spin assault now consists of left-arm spinners Shubhang Hegde and Rohit Kumar, and offspinner Okay. Shashikumar. The trio is skinny on expertise, with solely Shubhang (4 caps) having performed First Class cricket.
Wicketkeeper-batter Sujay Sateri, who scored runs in the C.Okay. Nayudu under-23 Trophy, has been included in place of B.R. Sharath. Sharath Srinivas is the different wicketkeeper in the squad. Batter Okay.L. Rahul and pacer Prasidh Krishna are away on worldwide responsibility.
The squad: Mayank Agarwal (Capt.), R. Samarth, Devdutt Padikkal, Nikin Jose (Vice-capt.), Manish Pandey, Shubhang Hegde, Sharath Srinivas, V. Vyshak, V. Koushik, Vidwath Kaverappa, Okay. Shashikumar, Sujay Sateri, D. Nischal, M. Venkatesh, Kishan Bedare, Rohit Kumar. Coach: P.V. Shashikanth. Bowling coach: Mansur Ali Khan. Fielding coach: Shabarish Mohan.
