Four debutants in Kerala Ranji Trophy squad while Sreesanth returns

The new faces in the team include 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Varun Nayanar, 17-year-old pacer Eden Apple Tom, right-arm pacer Fanoos F and opener Anand Krishnan.
Varun Nayanar, Eden Apple Tom, Fanoos F, Anand Krishnan. (Photo | EPS)
Varun Nayanar, Eden Apple Tom, Fanoos F, Anand Krishnan. (Photo | EPS)

KOCHI: At the age of 39, S Sreesanth is making a comeback to red-ball cricket with the veteran having some more cricket left in him. This comes after the former Indian international player makes his way into the final auction list for the upcoming Indian Premier League.

The Tinu Yohannan coached outfit also features four debutants, all of whom were making waves in age-group cricket before the big call-up.

The new faces in the team include 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Varun Nayanar who has been a consistent performer for Kerala in the junior cricket circuit and someone earmarked for the future.

Meanwhile, the trailblazer among the debutants is 17-year-old pacer Eden Apple Tom who broke into the team with his sheer pace and talent.

"Eden came in as a net bowler during the camp. He was not in the preliminary squad but we were all impressed by the potential he showed. He was the quickest among all the bowlers and he is just 17. He has all the attributes to be a really good fast bowler in the future," said Tinu. Being a former fast bowler himself, Yohannan is predicting big things for the youngster.

The other debutants in the team include right-arm pacer Fanoos F and opener Anand Krishnan.

"When it comes to the multi-day format, we are in a rebuilding process and needed a good mix of experience and youth. We have to build the right foundation for the future and we decided to invest in youth," said Tinu.

There are some notable absentees from the squad as well. While it is believed that Robin Uthappa opted out of this season's Ranji Trophy, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammed Azharuddeen has been rested, according to the KCA.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how Sreesanth will cope with the rigours of the four-day format given his age.

"What we saw in the camp, we feel Sreesanth can still play first-class cricket. But we expect him to contribute not just with his performance but also with his experience and presence. He will bring a holistic contribution to the dressing room, especially when it comes to guiding the youngsters," added Tinu.

Sachin Baby will be captaining the side with Vishnu Vinod acting as his deputy. Star batsman Sanju Samson is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and is expected to join the team once his fitness is cleared. With Uthappa not featuring, veteran Jalaj Saxena remains the only outstation player in the squad.
Kerala is in Elite Group A alongside Gujarat, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh.

Here's a quick look at the four debutants in the squad:

Varun Nayanar
Varun is a wicketkeeper batsman who hails from Kannur. He has been the pillar of Kerala in the junior cricket circuit for the last few years. Varun also represented the India U-19 team against South Africa in 2019. He is the youngest player from Kerala to score a double century in the U-19 category when he scored a double century against Saurashtra in 2018 in the Cooch Behar Trophy. He was also the highest run-getter for Kerala in the 2018 Vijay Merchant Trophy with 528 runs that included two centuries and three half-centuries.

Eden Apple Tom
A promising fast bowler who hails from Pathanamthitta. He was one of the notable performers in the 2020-21 Vijay Merchant Trophy. He was the top wicket-taker for Kerala (with 15 wickets) in 2021-22 Cooch Behar Trophy.

Anand Krishnan
A stylish left-handed opener who hails from Malappuram. He has represented Kerala through all the junior categories. Anand is a KCA academy trainee. He was in spectacular form in the recently concluded U-25 interstate tournament and scored a century against Bihar.

Fanoos F
A right-arm fast bowler from Thiruvananthapuram, Fanoos has been a consistent performer in all the junior categories for Kerala. He has taken eight wickets in the recently concluded U-25 inter-state tournament.


Kerala squad:

Sachin Baby (C), Vishnu Vinod (VC & WK), Anand Krishnan, Rohan Kunnumel, Vatsal Govind, Rahul P, Salman Nizar, Jalaj Saxena, Sijomon Joseph, Akshay KC, Mithun S, Basil NP, Nideesh MD, Manu Krishnan, Basil Thampi, Fanoos F, Sreeshanth S, Varun Nayanar, Vinoop Manoharan, Eden Apple Tom.

Fixtures:
Venue: Rajkot
Vs Meghalaya (17-20 Feb)
Vs Gujarat (24-27 Feb)
Vs Madhya Pradesh (3-6 March)

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