Vijay Zol available for Ranji Trophy final

Vijay Zol, the Maharashtra batsman and India Under-19 captain, will be available for his side's Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka, which begins in Hyderabad on January 29. The BCCI had earlier asked Zol to skip the final in order to train with the Under-19 team at the preparatory camp ahead of the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in the UAE.

The BCCI had given Zol permission to play only the semi-final against Bengal but the Maharashtra Cricket Association requested the board to release the young batsman for the final. Surendra Bhave, the Maharashtra coach, said the board had accepted the association's request and Zol is likely to join the team in Hyderabad on January 27.

Zol said he considered himself "fortunate" to play in the final. "I am fortunate to have been able to play a Ranji final in my maiden first-class season," he said. "I will try to help my team regain the coveted title and thus prepare for the big-match scenarios just before the U-19 World Cup."

Zol, who scored an unbeaten double-hundred on his Ranji debut in Maharashtra's season-opener, missed their last two league matches due to the U-19 Asia Cup in the UAE. However, he made a vital 91 in the quarter-final against Mumbai, helping Maharashtra beat the defending champions by eight wickets. In eight matches for Maharashtra this season, Zol has scored 517 runs at an average of 51.70.