Glimmer of ODI hope? R Ashwin named captain of India A for Deodhar Trophy

Out of favour in Indian team’s limited overs set-up, senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Tuesday got a lifeline as national selection committee named him captain of the India ‘A’ team for the Deodhar Trophy, scheduled to be held in Dharamsala from March 4-8.

Shreyas Iyer is the captain of the India ‘B’ team while Karun Nair will lead ‘Rest of India’.

Ashwin is one of the prominent selection in Deodhar Trophy as most of the others are performers in the just-concluded National One Day Championships. Among the victorious U-19 World Cup team, Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw have been included in the India A side.

With finger spinners not in priority at the moment, Ashwin’s performance in the Deodhar Trophy will be keenly monitored even though chances of an ODI comeback at the moment is pretty remote.

The selectors also included speedsters Umesh Yadav, who didn’t get a single game during India’s tour of South Africa. Having dropped in the pecking order behind Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shardul Thakur, Umesh will have a point to prove during the tournament. Mohammed Shami has also been included.

Meanwhile, the selectors also picked up Rest of India team which will take on Vidarbha in the …read more