Photo: IBNLive
The fit-again duo of opening batsman Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan today made a comeback but Sachin Tendulkar opted out from India's 15-member cricket squad for the five one-dayers and a Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka, starting July 21.
Tendulkar, who is now a Rajya Sabha member, was a part of the squad for the Asia Cup in March -- India's last ODI assignment -- where he completed his 100th international century but decided to opt out of Sri Lanka tour. Young Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane has replaced Tendulkar in the side. The other change from the side that played in the Asia Cup is the inclusion of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in place of out-of-form all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
The Kris Srikkanth-led selection committee, which picked the squad in a meeting here, also decided to replace Praveen Kumar with Zaheer's pace understudy Umesh Yadav. Harbhajan Singh, who endured indifferent form during the IPL, was ignored and Rahul Sahrma was retained in the side. The Indians would thus go in with three tweakers on the low-bouncing and spinning tracks in Sri Lanka.
The rest of the squad, to be led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, remains the same with the selectors retaining Virat Kohli as vice-captain, a position that the Delhi youngster took from opener Gautam Gambhir during the Asia Cup.
Indian Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Suresh Raina, Vinay Kumar, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma.
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