Pacers rested ahead of New Zealand tour

Rajneesh Gurbani, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj , part of the India A squad touring New Zealand, will not play the first round of Ranji fixtures.

India-A pacer Mohammed Siraj will not feature in the first-round of Ranji fixtures starting from November 1.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has advised the respective state associations to leave out pacers — Rajneesh Gurbani, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj — for the first round of the Ranji Trophy fixtures, which begin from November 1 with the aim of managing their workload.

The four players are part of the India A team which will leave for New Zealand on November 9 for three four-day games. The visitor will play its first match on November 14 and will be led by Ajinkya Rahane. A BCCI official said the decision was taken to ensure "that the players are fit and remain fresh for a long tour."

Gurbani, who was one of the best performers for Vidarbha last season, had initially joined the side in Pune ahead of its game against Maharashtra but headed back home following the Board’s letter. Vidarbha Cricket Association secretary and former India international, Prashant Vaidya, confirmed Gurbani's absence. Right-arm seamer Darshan Nalkande will take his place.