Discarded Indian middle-order batsman Mohammad Kaif has been selected to lead the 16-member India ‘A’ team to tour Zimbabwe and Kenya beginning on July 21.
India ‘A’ will play two four-day games on their tour of Zimbabwe, while they will be involved in a one-day triangular series with Kenya and Zimbabwe and two three-day games on their tour of Kenya.
The national selectors have included young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and Indian pace bowlers Irfan Pathan and Vikram Rajvir Singh in the squad.
The team will have two wicket-keepers, vice-captain Parthiv Patel carrying Haryana’s Mahesh Rawat as his understudy.
Robin Uthappa and Rohit Sharma, who were in the Indian team at the one-dayers in Ireland and Scotland, also find a place. Maharashtra coach Chandrakant Pandit will be the coach.
The team: Mohammad Kaif (capt), Parthiv Patel (vice-capt), Robin Uthappa, Cheteshwar Pujara, S Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Rajesh Pawar, Mahesh Rawat, Piyush Chawla, Arjun Yadav, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, VRV Singh, Yo Mahesh, Pankaj Singh, Neeraj Patel. Coach: Chandrakant Pandit. Manager: TC Mathew. Physiotherapist: Vaibhav Daga.