Gautam Gambhir included in Delhi squad for next Ranji fixture

Gautam Gambhir included in Delhi squad for next Ranji fixture

After a sub-par performance in the first Test against England, Gautam Gambhir is all set to return to the Ranji setup as he expressed interest to feature in the domestic games following his axe for the second Test in Visakhapatnam. KL Rahul, who recovered from an injury sustained during the Test series against New Zealand, featured in Karnataka's last Ranji fixture where he scored 76 and 106 against Rajasthan and got drafted back into the Test side, taking the place of the Delhi opener.

The senior batsman will now be released by the Indian team management as the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) selection committee picked him in the 16-member squad for the state's next Ranji match against Rajasthan, to be played at the Krishnagiri stadium in Wayanad from November 21.

"The selectors have spoken to Gautam and he has expressed his interest in playing the next round encounter as he will be getting valuable match time. That's the reason we have named Gautam in the squad. In case, we don't get him, we have kept Himmat Singh as cover," said a member of the Delhi selection panel. The selection meeting was attended by Nikhil Chopra, Atul Wassan, Robin SinghJunior along with coach KP Bhaskar, Chand and Co-Convenor Siddharth Sahib Singh.

Ishant Sharma, who last played a Test match in August, has also been added as the 16th member of the squad, but his participation in the Ranji game is uncertain as of now. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to give a go-ahead for Ishant as pacers are generally retained to bowl during the practice sessions. The 28-year-old could also be handy if the need arises to rotate the pace options to keep them fresh in a long series.

Shikhar Dhawan, who missed out on the final Test against New Zealand and the first 2 Tests against England, will also appear in the game to prove his fitness post the recovery from a thumb injury. A DDCA official stated that Unmukt Chand expressed his interest for Gambhir to lead the side.

Delhi Squad: Gautam Gambhir, Unmukt Chand, Shikhar Dhawan, Dhruv Shorey, Milind Kumar, Nitish Rana, Rishabh Pant, Manan Sharma, Pradeep Sangwan, Navdeep Saini, Sumit Narwal, Vikas Tokas, Sarthak Ranjan, Pulkit Narang, Varun Sood, Ishant Sharma. Cover: Himmat Singh.