Srinagar, March 15: Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) is currently holding a preparatory camp for Col CK Nayudu Trophy (U-25) at Jammu as the tournament is set to start from March 22.
J&K is placed in Elite Group ’H’ alongside Punjab, Bengal and Tripura. Matches of this group will be played in Delhi.
JKCA didn’t hold open trials for this tournament but rather called a limited number of players for the camp. Now as the team has to travel to Delhi on March 17, KSW understands that JKCA has already finalised the squad.
As per our sources, the team will be led by Shubham Pundir, who was earlier captain of J&K senior team. Pundir has had a terrible season with the senior team but surprisingly, selectors have chosen him for the leadership role instead of Henan Malik, sources say.
Malik captained the side in one-day tournament, helping them win three matches out of five. KSW understands that the squad will feature as many as nine players who were a part of Ranji Trophy, in which J&K lost two and won one match.
Here’s the 19-member likely squad:
Meanwhile, as per a BCCI directive, teams can play a maximum of three players, who played at least one match for senior team this year, in the playing XI. So, it will be interesting to see which three among Shubham Pundir, Henan Malik, Auqib Nabi, Mujtaba Yousuf, Qamran Iqbal and Abid Mushtaq start for J&K in their first match against Bengal on March 22.
Note: JKCA is yet to officially announce the squad.