Ravichandran Ashwin, Murali Vijay Headline Tamil Nadu's Strong Squad For Ranji Trophy

Tamil Nadu have named India ace Ravichandran Ashwin, discarded Test opener Murali Vijay and wicket-keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik in their 16-man squad for the Ranji Trophy, starting on 1 November.

With a strong squad at their disposal, Tamil Nadu will be hoping to put up a good show in the upcoming season of the Ranji Trophy after a poor last season.

Despite being one of the favourites, the two-time champions were knocked out of India’s premier tournament after the first round, finishing fourth in their group which had the likes of Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra, Tripura, Assam and Baroda.

They drew five out of their six matches, taking the first-innings lead in three of them, before losing their last group game against Baroda, ending the season without a single win under their belt.

And ahead of the new season, the selectors have named a strong squad. They have replaced Abhinav Mukund with Baba Indrajith to lead the side. In addition, they will have the services of the likes of Ashwin, Vijay, Karthik, Washington Sundar and Vijay Shankar.

Tamil Nadu, however, will miss the services of left-arm paceman T Natarajan and right-arm medium-pacer K Vignesh. Both the players are currently sidelined with injuries.

M Mohammed, J Kousik, Tanwar and R Rohit will take care of the fast-bowling department while Ashwin will lead the spin attack.

State selection panel chief S Sharath and captain Indrajith said it was a well-balanced team which was capable of doing well.

“It is a balanced team and we have all the bases covered. They will do well,” Sharath told PTI.

“It is a good all-round side and a balanced one. I am confident we will do well.

Ashwin’s presence gives the team a boost and along with Rahil Shah and Washington Sundar, gives the spin department a strong look,” Indrajith said.

Tamil Nadu begin their campaign against Madhya Pradesh at Dindigul on 1 November.

Tamil Nadu squad:

B Indrajith (Captain), M Kaushik Gandhi, Abhinav Mukund, M Vijay, Vijay Shankar, B Aparajith, Dinesh Karthik, N Jagadeesan, M S Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, R Sai Kishore, Rahil S Shah, M Mohammed, J Kousik, R Rohit, S Abhishek Tanwar.