Hyderabad :
Happy days are here again for Hyderabad cricket. After a lull of many years, things are really looking up for the cricketers of the state. On Monday, promising paceman Mohd Siraj found a berth in the Indian T20I team for the series against Sri Lanka next month and five other players too were rewarded by the National Senior Selection Committee as they found a place in the Board President’s XI which will take on the visitors in a two-day warm-up game in Kolkata on November 11 & 12.
Southpaws B Sandeep and Tanmay Agarwal, leggie Akash Bhandari and medium pacers CV Milind and Ravi Kiran have been included in the Naman Ojha led 13-member squad.
After their stupendous show last year when they reached the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy, the Hyderabad senior team started the season with a bang by notching up back-to-back titles in the form of the Moin-ud Dowlah Gold Cup at home and then claiming the Buchi Babu Trophy in Chennai.
Though rain played spoilsport as their games against Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh were washed out without a ball being bowled, Monday’s development will bring a lot of cheer in the camp as the team takes on Karnataka in their four-day Group A match in Shimoga from Tuesday.
“It is a great news for Hyderabad cricket. The hard work put in by the players has borne fruit. After a very long time six players have been selected by the Indian selectors. This is a red-letter day for Hyderabad cricket. I am glad about it and wish the players all the very best. We look forward to produce many more players who will don Indian colours,” Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) secretary T Shesh Narayan, who has been camping in Mumbai for the last few days and played a key role in bringing to the notice of the selectors the players’ performances, told TOI over the telephone.
“I am delighted with the call-up. It is a great feeling to be considered for playing against a visiting international team. I just look forward to the game and will take it as it comes. I have no particular goals as such. I just want to do well for the team and gain from the experience,” said Sandeep, who had got 612 runs with a highest of 203 not out last year in the Ranji Trophy. The southpaw had scored on century on debut against Jharkhand in 2010.
“It’s just a learning step for me. The dream is always to play for the country but there is no time frame for it. I just want to keep scoring runs and wait for my opportunity,” said another southpaw Tanmay.
Both the players were happy that five of them have been selected for the Board President XI’s and also for the inclusion of teammate Siraj in the Indian squad. “It has been a long time since so many players from Hyderabad have made it to the big league. I am delighted about Siraj and also about us playing in the Board President XI’s game. I am sure that this will inspire our team to continue to do well this season too,” said Tanmay.
“I am thrilled that almost half of the team will be from Hyderabad. It is nice to have familiar faces in the dressing room. We hope to make an impact in the game,” said Sandeep.
The team: Naman Ojha (Capt/WK), Sanju Samson, Jiwanjot Singh, B Sandeep, Tanmay Agarwal, Abhishek Gupta, Rohan Prem, Akash Bhandari, Jalaj Saxena, CV Milind, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, Ravi Kiran.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Sports News> Cricket News / Soloman s Kumar / TNN / October 23rd, 2017