The Challenger Trophy (Indian Domestic Season)

[adharcric]

Following the ongoing tri-series in Malaysia, the Challenger Trophy will be held at the start of October in Chennai. India Seniors, India A and India B, together comprising of the 39 best cricketers in the nation, will face off in one-day matches. Although the results won't affect the composition of the Champions Trophy squad, they could certainly help certain players push their case for the World Cup and a national call-up in general. For the younger talents, it will be an opportunity to impress the selectors and management and put up a show against the cream of the crop.

Which has-beens should get an opportunity (Ganguly, Kumble, Zaheer, etc)?
Which promising youngsters are you most looking forward to see in action?
Any other thoughts/comments?

If you have the time, go ahead and name your preferred 13-man India Seniors, India A and India B squads for the Challenger Trophy.

[adharcric]

India Seniors
R Dravid *
S Tendulkar
I Pathan
V Sehwag
Y Singh
MS Dhoni +
S Raina
R Powar
A Agarkar
H Singh
M Patel

Reserves: C Pujara, A Nabi

India A
R Uthappa
G Gambhir
VVS Laxman
M Kaif *
V Rao
D Mongia
D Karthik +
A Kumble
Z Khan
Sreesanth
RP Singh

Reserves: J Sharma, S Nadeem

India B
S Dhawan
S Ganguly *
R Sharma
S Badrinath
H Badani
TP Singh
P Patel +
P Chawla
L Balaji
VRV Singh
A Nehra

Reserves: M Kartik, P Kumar

Notable Exclusions: S Vidyut, I Sharma, SS Paul

[honestbharani]

not sure about squads, but I am gonna be watching, babuh!

[adharcric]

Originally Posted by honestbharani

not sure about squads, but I am gonna be watching, babuh!

LIVE in person?

[honestbharani]

most probably yes.

[Arjun]

India Seniors:

• Sehwag
• Tendulkar
• Irfan (LFM)
• Dravid (C)
• Yuvraj
• Raina
• Dhoni (WK)
• Powar (OB)
• Harbhajan (OB)
• Agarkar (RFM)
• Munaf (RFM)
• RESERVE: Pujara
• RESERVE: Nehra (LFM)

India A

• Jaffer
• Gambhir
• Laxman
• Kaif (C)
• Venugopal
• Joginder Sharma (RMF)
• Dinesh Karthik (WK)
• JP Yadav (RM)
• Amit Mishra (LBG)
• S Nadeem (OB)
• Zaheer (RFM)
• RESERVE: Jadhav
• RESERVE: Sreesanth (RF?)

India B

• Uthappa
• Dhawan
• Rohit Sharma
• Badrinath
• Tanmay Srivastava
• Piyush Chawla (LBG)
• Pravin Kumar (RMF)
• Bangar (RMF)
• Uday Kaul (WK)
• RP Singh (LFM)
• VR Singh (RFM)
• RESERVE: Abid Nabi
• RESERVE: A Jhunjhunwala

Putting together this combination was a little difficult, especially in deciding who goes where and who stays out but then, this is a three-match workout for the Indian team, so it's not too much of an issue. Key points I had to think of–

• I've tried to keep the Indian main team together as much as possible.
• Do Zaheer and Nehra come into the equation when outfielding is an area of concern?
• Where do Zaheer and Nehra go?
• What do you do with Ganguly and Kumble? Both are in declining ODI form and lack fielding utility.
• What do you do with Agarkar? He's had decent figures, but his performances have hardly been helpful.
• Do you need a third wicketkeeper-batsman? Maybe a third stock bowler who can score runs will do just right.
• Talking of all-rounder options, it's tough spreading them across three teams, but you need all your options ready.
• Deciding reserves: Who goes on the bench?
• And of course, does the UP-Sialkot match clash with the series? I'm a little out of touch with the dates.

[Arjun]

Which has-beens should get an opportunity (Ganguly, Kumble, Zaheer, etc)?

Zaheer, JP Yadav and Sanjay Bangar should get a chance. Especially Zaheer. An in-form Zaheer will make the Indian team instantly, and will combine well with (an albeit West Zone combo of) Irfan and Munaf. His fielding is still an issue. Yadav has the best all-round figures in the country, and his presence in the team will ease the batting and bowling load on Irfan. However, he may only get to bowl with an old ball though he has old-ball issues, and all-rounders are available who can field a lot better. Bangar is a good ODI utility player, and makes up for lack of talent with steady temperament and opportunism, while batting or bowling. He's a player who can serve any purpose but his fielding, however, is again an issue.

Which promising youngsters are you most looking forward to see in action?

Rohit Sharma is one worth a watch. He's played very well for India A in the AOD's he got, and there may be a future India prospect in him. Joginder Sharma is a more relevant prospect, since he's a strike bowler who also scores the bulk of runs for his FC side. RP Singh was once one of the better ODI bowlers for India, and this series should give him another chance. VRV Singh was once touted as a future pace hope, but lack of refinement and fitness showed in his debut Test and ODI series. Hopefully he'll be in wicket-taking form here. Oh yes, one more shot for Gautam Gambhir– good performances against India Seniors will prove the selectors wrong once more. The key areas to look at are pace bowlers and run-scoring bowlers, and also full-time opening batsmen.

Any other thoughts/comments?

For those who didn't read the other thread, this is not an ideal selection platform for the national side, but more of a workout for the current national team, while good performances by reserves may only get them noticed. The pitch should be one which favours all, while most Challenger pitches are either too flat or too slow. Pace prospects should have a good series. The Challenger series is run like a regular ODI series, and hopefully that will happen with all other List-A one-dayers in India.