Dinesh Karthik, the seasoned wicketkeeper batsman, will be captaining his state Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament, beginning on January 10 in Kolkata.
The selectors have appointed all-rounder Vijay Shankar as Karthik's deputy for the premier domestic T20 competition.
Read Also: Shreyas Iyer set to miss Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 for Mumbai with shoulder injury
Karthik will hold the responsibility of the squad that has a nice mix of youth and experience in it.
Out-of-favour with the Indian team, the 35-year-old will be under the pressure to deliver as captain, especially in the absence of first-choice picks Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar and T Natarajan, who are on national duty in Australia.
S Vasudevan, the former Tamil Nadu skipper and also the head of the state's senior selection committee, has announced a 20-man squad considering the requirements amid COVID-19 pandemic.
On the bowling front, while missing Ashwin, Sundar and Natarajan, the side will certainly feel boosted by the presence of pacers Aswin Crist and Sandeep Warrier. Crist has returned after a gap of three years because of injuries, while Warrier, among the most impressive pacemen around in domestic cricket, has shifted base from Kerala.
Spinners M Ashwin, R Sai Kishore and M Siddharth are also part of the squad as last season's runners-up look to go one step forward this time.
Veteran batsman Murali Vijay had just few days ago opted out due to personal reasons, while medium-pacer K Vignesh gave a positive Coronavirus test. Vignesh has been replaced in the squad by all-rounder R S Jaganath Sinivas.
"It is a very balanced team and has a mix of experience and youth," chief selector Vasudevan told PTI.
"The players are well prepared and I expect the team to do well in the Mushtaq Ali tournament. I am confident that they (team) will perform well," he added.
Tamil Nadu, placed in the Elite Group B of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20, will have a team camp starting Thursday (December 24) and will also be playing practise games. Karthik & co are expected to leave for Kolkata on January 2.
Squad: Dinesh Karthik (captain), Vijay Shankar (vice-captain), B Aparajith, B Indrajith, M Shahrukh Khan, C Hari Nishaanth, K B Arun Karthik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, N Jagadeesan, Aswin Crist, M Mohammed, G Periyasamy, Sandeep Warrier, J Kousik, R Sonu Yadav, M Ashwin, R Sai Kishore, M Siddharth, L Suryapprakash, R S Jaganath Sinivas.
(Inputs from PTI)
