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Deodhar Trophy Preview: Last chance for youngsters to stake claim for World Cup

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This is one last limited-overs tournament where the hopefuls can impress before the 30 probables for the ICC Cricket World Cup will be announced next weekend. Those who have made a mark in the inter-state Vijay Hazare Trophy, which Karnataka won in Ahmedabad earlier this week, will be keen to extend their form in the inter-zonal knock-out competition beginning at the Wankhede on Saturday.

South Zone and Central Zone, the two teams that contested in the Duleep Trophy final recently, will lock horns in a day game with the winners meeting defending champions West Zone in Monday’s semifinal. North and East face in the first semifinal on Sunday. The final, a day-night affair, is scheduled on Wednesday.

It may seem that the premier domestic limited-overs tournament may have lost its sheen from the outside. For the players, though, this is what they are banking on to make one final attempt to catch the selectors’ eye, all five of whom will be present for the tournament, to stake their claims, at least among the probables.

While the Wankhede strip promises a good mix for both bat and ball, what with Dhiraj Parsana, BCCI’s west zone curator, overlooking the pitch preparations on the match eve on Friday, all eyes will be on Central Zone chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav and the way in which he checks the opposition.

The 19-year-old Yadav was selected in the Indian team recently, though he did not get to play against the touring West Indians. While he should make the cut for the 30, Yadav will be up against the strong South batting line-up, given the rich current form of Robin Uthappa, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Sanju Samson, Baba Aparajith and Stuart Binny.

Central Zone captain Piyush Chawla was wary of the South strength. "They have a pretty good side but not long ago, we defeated them in the final of the Duleep Trophy. Our chins are high and we are looking forward to a good game," the leg-spinner said.

Chawla, himself, is hopeful of making a comeback into the Indian team with an eye on the World Cup berth. “There are many games after this (Deodhar Trophy) as well. 
There is Ranji trophy that follows. I am doing my things in the right way – picking up wickets and everything.

"Hopes (for a World Cup berth) are always there. I have done well in Duleep and before that in the IPL as also the domestic circuit last season. I am doing well. 
There are a few things that are not in my control. I am doing pretty well the things that are in my control."

Domestically successful captain, R Vinay Kumar of South Zone is one of the seven Karnataka players in the south side. It is tough to keep away even one of the them from the playing XI. "All have performed well in the (recently-concluded) Vijay Hazare Trophy. They will get good exposure playing here. I am looking at this as a very serious game and keen to perform well."

Kumar, however, said that thoughts about World Cup berths do not cross the mind once he and his team entered the field. "We don’t talk about that. All games are important. It is important for everyone to perform in each and every game Only then will you get that chance (to play for India)."

Squads (from):
South Zone: R Vinay Kumar (C), Robin Uthappa (WK), Mayank Agarwal, Amit Yadav, Baba Aparajith, Ashish Reddy, Stuart Binny, Amogh Sunil Desai, Darshan Misal, Abhimanyu Mithun, Karun Nair, Manish Pandey, Sachin Baby, Sanju Samson, Cheepurapalli Stephen

Central Zone: Piyush Chawla (C), Akshdeep Nath, Anureet Singh, Ankush Bains, Swapnil Bandiwar, Mukul Dagar, Arjit Gupta, Abhishek Kaushik, Kuldeep Yadav, Ashok Menaria, Ishwar Pandey, Pankaj Singh, Mahesh Rawat (WK), Jalaj Saxena, Jitesh Sharma (WK)

Schedule (all matches at Wankhede Stadium):
November 29: South vs Central (pre-quarterfinal), 9am
November 30: North vs East (semifinal), 9am
December 1: West vs w/o of South-Central (semifinal), 9am
December 3: Final, 2.30pm

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