Karnataka name under-strength squad for Bangladesh A match

Vinay Kumar will lead an under-strength Karnataka side

R Vinay Kumar will lead an under-strength Karnataka squad in their three-day game against Bangladesh A, Wisden India reports. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) made the announcement earlier in the day with the BCCI’s preparatory camp for the series against South Africa robbing the squad of the likes of KL Rahul, Stuart Binny, Manish Pandey and Karun Nair.

The Karnataka side does still possess star players like Robin Uthappa, who played a brilliant knock in powering his side Bijapur Bulls to the final of the KPL Season 4 earlier today against Vinay Kumar-led Belagavi Panthers. Apart from the duo, the Karnataka side can also look forward to the services of Mayank Agarwal, who has been in splendid form for India A over the past couple of months, as well as wicketkeeper-batsman CM Gautam and R Samarth.

Bangladesh A are currently facing India A in a three-match one-day series and will take on the nation’s domestic treble champions in a three-day match after the conclusion of the series on Sunday. Both teams have a game each as Bangladesh A made a fighting comeback led by the all-round heroics of Nasir Hossain in the second one-dayer at Bangalore held today to equalise the series at 1-1 having lost the opening match at the same venue a couple of days earlier.

The absence of several high-profile players could serve as a blessing in disguise for players like Shishir Bhavane and Abhishek Reddy, who have been on the fringes of the team for quite some time now.

Vinay Kumar, who has been in excellent form with the bat in the KPL, will be joined by HS Sharath and David Mathias in the pace department, though either of the pair could miss out as Karnataka are likely to go in with the spin trio of Shreyas Gopal, J Suchith and Udit Patel for the match to be held in Mysore.

Following the three-day match against Karnataka, Bangladesh A will head back to Bangalore where they will take on India A led by Shikhar Dhawan in a three-day game.

The squad:R Vinay Kumar (capt), Robin Uthappa, R Samarth, Mayank Agarwal, CM Gautam (wk), Shreyas Gopal, Abhishek Reddy, J Suchith, Udit Patel, HS Sharath, David Mathias, D Nischal, Shishir Bhavane, Prasidh Krishna, Mitrakanth Yadav.