Four from Vidarbha in Central Zone squad, Wadkar ignored
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Nagpur: Vidarbha may have clinched the Ranji Trophy earlier this year, but only four of its players are good enough to make the cut for the Duleep Trophy, at least as per the Central Zone selection committee.
Among those selected from Vidarbha, two —
Harsh Dubey
and Yash Rathod — select themselves, being the highest wicket-taker and leading run-scorer of the last Ranji Trophy. Danish Malewar, who scored a century in the final against Kerala, and consistent medium pacer Aditya Thakare are the two other Vidarbha players in the Central Zone squad. Usman Ghani, who plotted Vidarbha's third Ranji Trophy triumph, has been fittingly named as the Central Zone coach.
The bigger news, unfortunately, was the snub given by the selectors to Akshay Wadkar, the ever-dependable Vidarbha skipper. Having led Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji Trophy finals in the last two years, apart from piling up runs, it was expected that Wadkar would walk into the Central Zone team.
The selectors, though, failed to notice Wadkar's 722 runs in 10 matches as well as 24 dismissals (19 catches and five stumpings) effected as wicketkeeper in the last edition of the Ranji Trophy.
Wadkar posted two centuries and as many fifties while scoring at an average of 45.13.
Surprisingly, Madhya Pradesh's Rajat Patidar has been named in the team subject to fitness clearance. The Central Zone will be led by Dhruv Jurel, a wicketkeeper-batter, like Wadkar.
Rathod's inclusion in the Central Zone team was a no-brainer after he piled up 960 runs from 10 matches at an average of 53.33, the most by a batter in the last Ranji season.
He posted five centuries, including 151 against Mumbai in Vidarbha's 80-run semifinal win.
Same was the case with Dubey, who snapped up 69 wickets and entered the record books as the bowler with most scalps in a Ranji Trophy season. He took wickets at an astonishing average of 16.98, posting seven five-wicket hauls in 10 matches.
Malewar posted 783 runs from nine matches at an average of 52.20. His highest score was 154, posted in the final against Kerala, as he smashed two centuries and six fifties.
Aditya Thakare took 28 wickets in eight matches before missing out on the semifinal and final due to injury. The tall medium pacer took wickets at an excellent average of 19.85. Vidarbha's right-arm medium pacer Yash Thakur has been named in standbys.
Central Zone team:
Dhruv Jurel (C & WK), Kuldeep Yadav, Aryan Juyal (all from UP), Harsh Dubey, Yash Rathod, Danish Malewar, Aditya Thakare (all from Vidarbha), Rajat Patidar, Saransh Jain, Shubham Sharma (all from MP), Deepak Chahar, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed (all from Rajasthan), Sanjeet Desai, Ayush Pandey (both from Chhattisgarh). Coach: Usman Ghani.
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