Ranji Trophy: Sachin to lead Kerala, injured Sanju expected to join squad later
Veteran India pacer S Sreesanth is part of the 20-member Kerala squad that feature four new faces.
Veteran India pacer S Sreesanth is part of the 20-member Kerala squad that feature four new faces.
Veteran India pacer S Sreesanth is part of the 20-member Kerala squad that feature four new faces.
Thiruvananthapuram: Sachin Baby will captain Kerala in the Ranji Trophy while Sanju Samson, who is working on his fitness, has been left out.
The Kerala Cricket Association said that Sanju, who is presently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA is expected to join the squad once his fitness is cleared.
Wicketkeeper Vishnu Vinod will serve as Sachin's deputy while veteran India pacer S Sreesanth is also part of the 20-member squad.
The Kerala squad features four debutants namely Anand Krishnan, Fanoos F, Varun Nayanar and Eden Apple Tom.
Opener Mohammed Azharuddeen failed to find a place in the squad.
Kerala, which is part of the Elite-A division, will play at Rajkot between February 17 and March 6. Kerala's Ranji campaign will begin against Meghalaya on February 17.
Kerala Squad: Sachin Baby (Cap), Vishnu Vinod (V.Cap, WK), Anand Krishnan, Rohan Kunnumel, Vatsal Govind, Rahul P, Salman Nizar, Jalaj Saxena, Sijomon Joseph, Akshay KC, Mithun S, Basil NP, Nideesh MD, Manu Krishnan, Basil Thampi, Fanoos F, Sreesanth S, Varun Nayanar, Vinoop Manoharan, Eden Apple Tom.
Kerala's fixtures
vs Meghalaya - Feb 17-20
vs Gujarat - Feb 24-27
vs Madhya Pradesh - Mar 3-6
The newcomers
Varun Nayanar: He has been a regular run-getter for Kerala at the junior level.
The 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman from Kannur had represented India U-19 against South Africa in 2019.
He is also the youngest Kerala player to score a double century in the Cooch Behar Trophy.
Eden Apple Tom: This promising all-rounder is just 17. Eden, who is a pacer, was Kerala's leading wicket-taker (15) in the Cooch Behar Trophy (U-19) in the 2021-22 season.
The native of Pathanamthitta was also one of the notable performers in the Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16) in 2020-21.
Anand Krishnan: Most recently, he scored a century against Bihar in a U-25 inter-state tournament.
The stylish left-hand opener hails from Malappuram.
Fanoos F: This right-arm fast bowler from Thiruvananthapuram took eight wickets for Kerala in the recent U-25 inter-state tournament.
Ranji matches in Thiruvananthapuram
The KCA will host Ranji Trophy Elite-E division matches at multiple venues in Thiruvananthapuram.
Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Services and Uttarakhand will be the teams playing at Thiruvananthapuram.
The matches are scheduled to be held from February 17 to March 6.