Pandey replaces Vinay Kumar as Karnataka skipper

In the squad announced on Friday, wicketkeeper-batsman C.M. Gautam and all-rounder Stuart Binny have also been left out.

Manish Pandey has been named Karnataka skipper in place of R. Vinay Kumar for the remaining four matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

 

Manish Pandey has been named Karnataka skipper in place of R. Vinay Kumar for the remaining four matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The move comes after the defending champion has had to endure a wretched time, losing three of its four matches in the tournament thus far. Another loss against Vidarbha on Sunday will put it out of the competition.

It also helped that Pandey recently captained India B to the title in the Quadrangular Series involving Australia A and South Africa A.

“We wanted to build a team for the future,” said KSCA Secretary R. Sudhakar Rao. “This is only for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The selectors wanted to see how he does.”

In the squad announced on Friday, wicketkeeper batsman C.M. Gautam and all-rounder Stuart Binny have also been left out. Rao, while reluctant to pin the decision on the duo’s poor form of late, said it was to “give them a break.”

Expectedly, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair and Prasidh Krishna, all part of the Board President’s team which will play West Indies, do not figure in the list. Batsman Anirudha Joshi, all-rounder Mir Kaunain Abbas and paceman T. Pradeep have been included.

Squad: Manish Pandey (Capt); R. Vinay Kumar, R. Samarth, Anirudha Joshi, Pavan Deshpande, K. Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, A. Mithun, Mir Kaunain Abbas, J. Suchith, Abhishek Reddy, T. Pradeep, M.G. Naveen, B.R. Sharath, Sharath Srinivas.