Ranji Trophy 2017-18: Hyderabad squad for the final League game announced

Despite putting in a decent effort, Ambati Rayudu-led Hyderabad will be disappointed that they are no more in contention for the knockouts. They pulled off a couple of comprehensive victories over Assam and Railways, but the two games at the beginning of the season which got washed out without a ball being bowled played a significant role in sabotaging their ambitions.

They are nine points behind of Delhi, who incidentally will be their opponents in their final match in Group A. Delhi has been solid this season, registering three big victories in the five games they’ve played. This has helped them stay in touching distances with Karnataka, who are two points ahead of Delhi at the top of the ladder.

Ambati Rayudu misses out for the final match

In what will be a dead-rubber contest against Delhi, Ambati Rayudu will be missing out. In his absence, the selectors have made an eye-brow raising choice by appointing the 25-year-old Kolla Sumanth as the captain. Not just that, but a lot of other changes were made in the side to hand a priceless opportunity to some youngsters.

Saket Sai Ram, opener Tanmay Agarwal’s brother Himalay Agarwal, and keeper-batsman KSK Chaitanya have all been rewarded for their brilliant performances in the HCA 3-Day Leagues. Another new name in the squad is the youngster from Warangal, T Sukanth.

Amol Shinde, former Sunrisers all-rounder Ashish Reddy and Chama Milind have all been dropped to make way for the names mentioned above. All the changes made above might pave way for Ambati Rayudu’s brother Rohith Rayudu to finally get into the playing XI. His fantastic performances in the local leagues earned him a place in the squad but has thus far managed to warm up on the bench.

The final round of the League stages will commence on the 25th November and their side would be eager to finish their impressive, yet unlucky campaign on a high. Here’s the list of the complete squad, as announced by the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

Hyderabad Squad: Sumanth Kolla (C), P Akshath Reddy, Tanmay Agarwal, K Rohith Rayudu, B Sandeep, Akash Bhandari, T Ravi Teja, M Ravi Kiran, Mohd Mudassar Hussain, Pragyan Ojha, Mehdi Hasan, Saket Sai Ram, Sudeep Tyagi, KSK Chaitanya, Himalay Agarwal, T Sukanth