BCCI invites off-spinner Himanshu Singh to India camp ahead of Bangladesh Tests

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited Mumbai’s young off-spinner Himanshu Singh to join the Team India camp in Chennai ahead of the Bangladesh series. Notably, the camp will serve as ideal preparation for the first Test, which is set to commence on September 19 in Chennai.

Team India will be hosting Bangladesh for two Test matches and three T20s during the upcoming home series. The series will kick off with the Test matches, followed by the T20Is. Notably, the two-match Test series is also part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

The first Test match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 19 to 23. Green Park in Kanpur will host the second and final match of the upcoming series. It’s worth mentioning that this will be former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir's first Test series as head coach.

Ajit Agarkar And His Selectors Impressed With Himanshu Singh’s Performance

The training camp for the Indian team will take place in Chennai from September 13 to 18. All the selected players must arrive by September 12, but those playing in the Duleep Trophy will join after their matches.

"All the selected players for the camp have been asked to report to Chennai on September 12. Those who are playing in the Duleep Trophy will leave for Chennai after the first match," a source told TOI.

Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar and his panel have been closely monitoring Himanshu Singh’s performance. The six-foot-four off-spinner has been compared to veteran Ravichandran Ashwin because of his similar bowling action and impressive control.

"Ajit Agarkar (India's chief selector) and his co-selectors have been impressed with Himanshu for a while and have been tracking his progress. He is tall (six foot four inches) and has an action similar to that of Ashwin," said a source.

Himanshu Singh Took 7 Wickets In K Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament

21-year-old Himanshu Singh has impressed national selectors with his performance in the Dr (Capt) K Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament. On Saturday, he took 7 wickets for 74 runs while playing for Mumbai against Andhra at Alur-1 Ground. He has yet to play for the Mumbai senior team.

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Himanshu has played for Mumbai in age-group U-16 and U-23 teams. The young bowler also participated in BCCI’s 'emerging players' camps in Anantapur and Bengaluru a couple of years back. The camp with senior players helped him develop his skills and progress toward representing India.

Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin are expected to be India's first-choice spinners for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will compete for the third spinner role. Axar can contribute with the bat, while Kuldeep will bring variety to the bowling attack.

Also read: Wasim Akram breaks silence on Pakistan's Test series defeat to Bangladesh