India announce squad to tour Israel

The Indian selectors have named Jaydev Shah, who led Saurashtra to the Ranji one-day title, as captain of their team to tour Israel in July. The bulk of the team comprises players who have caught the eye during the recent Indian Premier League 20-20 tournament.

Whilst none of the team have played for the full Indian side, there is no shortage of talent. Here are brief introductions to a couple of the players:

Captain Jaydev Shah is a left-handed batsman and right-arm offbreak bowler. Shah is the captain of Saurashtra team. He made his first class debut in 2002-2003 and has since made 37 appearances in first class cricket. Shah has put up a total of 1611 runs with a highest score of 160. On the way to winning the domestic one-day trophy this year, Shah slammed a 80-ball 100 to lead his side to a comfortable quarter-final win. Part of the Rajastan Royals squad in the IPL.

Opening batsman Swapnil Asnodkar, the leading run-getter for Goa the last four seasons, scored 640 runs at an avergae of 71 during the 2007-08 Ranji season, including a personal best of 254*. Playing for Shane Warne's Rajastan Royals in the IPL, his fearless style has evoked memories of Sri Lanka's Romesh Kaluwitharana. He scored a match-winning 34-ball 60 against Knight Riders.

20-year old Cheteshwar Pujara finished as the 2006 Under-19 World Cup's highest scorer with 349 runs at an average of 116. He'd already displayed his hunger for big scores with a triple-century against Baroda at Under-14 level, a 211 against England Under-19, and 145 for Saurashtra in just his second first-class match. In the World Cup, his 97 against West Indies and unbeaten 129 against England - an almost faultless one-day innings - took him to the top of the run-charts. Pujara's gameplan is simple and he plays within his limitations. His technique is classical; upright at the crease and confident through both sides of the field. One of the top run-getters in the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy season, Pujara signed on with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha became the 15th Bengal player to score a hundred on Ranji debut. Though he managed only one more fifty in the remaining first-class games of the season, he was signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the inaugural season of the IPL. The wicketkeeper batsman has shown that he can hold his own in the big league, scoring an explosive half-century in 28 balls that included four sixes against Kings X1. R Vinay Kumar was first picked for the Ranji Trophy in 2004-05. He quickly established himself, taking more than 20 wickets in each of his first three seasons. The 2007-08 season has been his best yet, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy, with 40. That and a batting strike-rate hovering around 100 in the shorter versions of the game convinced the Bangalore Royal Challengers to get him on board for the IPL.

Wicketkeeper Yogesh Takawale made his first-class debut as a specialist batsman for Maharashtra in 2005-06. In October 2006, he scored a fluent 50 against the Australians in a warm-up match ahead of the Champions Trophy and followed that form into the Ranji Trophy, with 351 runs at 50.14. His hard-hitting batting earned him a place in the Mumbai Indians' squad in the IPL.

Rajat Bhatia has turned in many influential performances in domestic cricket and is still regarded highly by those who played with and against him, especially in Tamil Nadu, even after he left them to return to Delhi, his original state. By the time he emerged as a finished product as an allrounder, there was no specific need for one, and he has yet to earn Indian selection. Played for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL.

After a stint at the Australian Institute of Sport, Ashok Dinda made his first-class debut for Bengal in the 2005-06 season. He was a regular member of the side that reached the final of the Ranji Trophy the next season. He signed for the Kolkata Knight Riders' squad for the inaugural season of the IPL, and shone in the league opener in Bangalore. Ricky Ponting finds him the most promising local talent in KKR. Dinda can surprise batsmen with the speed he generates with a whippy action and the leap before delivering the ball, consistently bowling at 140 kmph, raising quite a few eyebrows. Sourav Ganguly is known to spot talented players and backing them. He has shown immense faith in Dinda and no wonder he gives the new ball to the latter, ahead of Indian test bowler Ishant Sharma. Dinda has lived up to the expectations of his captain, giving important breakthroughs in almost all the matches, picking up three wickets against Deccan Chargers. "He is a great prospect. I picked him up from nowhere for a Duleep Trophy game in 2005. He has pace and he can swing the ball," said Ganguly.

The left-arm medium-pace bowler, Pradeep Sangwan made his first-class debut for Delhi in the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy season and took 33 wickets at an average of 19.24. His performances won him a berth in India's squad for the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, where he impressed with eight wickets in India's successful campaign, including a spell of 5 for 44 that routed South Africa during the group stages. Played for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL.

Left arm spinner Rakesh Dhruv from Saurashtra took his best one-day figures of 3-23 in April's final of India's premier one-day competition which his team won to complete an excellent season. He has scored almost 2000 first class runs and taken 124 wickets.

20 wickets in just three first class matches earned 21-year old fast bowler Basanth Mohanty a place in the squad. He took five-wicket hauls in each of his first two first class games. Vishal Bhatia is a 26-year old left arm spinner with 140 first class wickets. He has best bowling figures of 6 for 15 in one-day cricket.

Off break bowler Mohnish Parmar is another to earn selection after an excellet domestic season, taking 37 wickets at an average of 14.78 in just seven first class games. 20-year old all-rounder Ravi Teja, who has been capped by India at U19 level, averages 48 in first class cricket. He played for Deccan Chargers in the IPL, scoring 40 in their semi-final defeat to Chennai.

Right handed batsman Murali Vijay also averages over 48 in first class cricket, with a highest score of 230* late last year for Tamil Nadu against Saurashtra.

Squad for Israel Jaydev Shah (capt), Swapnil Asnodkar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravi Teja, M Vijay, Wriddhiman Saha, Rajat Bhatia, Yogesh Takawale (wk), Rakesh Dhruv, Mohnish Parmar, Vishal Bhatia, Basant Mohanty, Pradeep Sangwan, Ashok Dinda, R Vinay Kumar