Debasis overlooked for East Zone Duleep squad

Debasis Mohanty is a notable absentee from the East Zone squad, to be captained by former Test opener Shiv Sunder Das, announced for the Duleep Trophy. Debasis was Orissa's joint highest wicket-taker this Ranji Trophy season with 28 wickets at 16.53, but was overlooked in place of his pace partner Basanth Mohanty.

The side has three other players from Orissa - the wicketkeeper Haladhar Das, Basant - who tied with Debasis on 28 wickets at 21.28 - and allrounder Niranjan Behera. "It's good that we have four players in the squad. However, Debashish should have been in the side. He did pretty well in Ranji Trophy this season," Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Ashirbad Behera told PTI.

Bengal's wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has been named as a batsman, and joins statemates Ranadeb Bose, Ashok Dinda, Manoj Tiwary and Dibyendu Chakraborty. The Bengal captain, Laxmi Shukla, has not found a place. Bengal's Utpal Chatterjee has been named the coach.

The East Zone selectors, Raja Venkat and Sambaran Banerjee, appointed the Assam middle order batsman Rashmi Parida as the vice-captain.

This season's Duleep Trophy will be played on a knock-out basis. South Zone and Central Zone, the teams placed at the bottom of their respective groups last season, will play a qualifying match in Bangalore from January 22. The winner will take on defending champions North Zone in the first semi-final, while East Zone clash with West Zone in the second. The final, scheduled to begin on February 5, will be played in Chennai.