Binny released to play in Ranji

Karnataka will have the services of Stuart Binny for their Ranji Trophy Group ‘A’ match against Odisha after the all-rounder was released by the Indian Test team management here on Thursday.

The defending champions take on Odisha in Mysuru from Saturday. Shorn of several key players and some indifferent show, Karnataka had gone winless in their first four matches before they defeated Rajasthan in their previous match in Jaipur to bring their campaign back on track.

The match against Rajasthan was Binny’s first for the season and he made decent contribution with both bat and ball in the context of the game. His quickfire 29 in the second innings and three wickets for the match were crucial in Karnataka registering a 92-run win to swell their tally to 14 points.

Along with Binny, paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar and middle-order bat Rohit Sharma too were released to join their respective State sides. Another Karnataka player, K L Rahul, has been retained as the 12th man, probably keeping in mind the fact that he is an excellent close-in fielder and may prove handy as the first Test against South Africa progresses.