The discarded India all-rounder Suresh Raina is all set to play the upcoming edition of Moin-Ud-Dowlah Gold Cup in Hyderabad. The tournament will be played from August 22 to 31st.

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Raina will be representing the Air India side in the nine-day tournament. Apart from him, big stars like Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh might also grace the event. There are high chances of them playing for their office teams. In fact, Yuvraj will partner Raina if he decides to participate.

Both Yuvraj and Raina were in contention to for the Indian team for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, but poor fitness resulted in both of them not being considered. While there was no reason given for Raina, MSK Prasad, the Chairman of the selection committee said that Yuvraj has been rested for the series.

With Indian team set to play many home games, this tournament is seen as a platform where apart from performance, they can also show their fitness level. At present, Raina is a part of Uttar Pradesh Ranji Trophy practice camp, which began a few days ago and he is working hard on his fitness. He is also uploading the images of latest updates in social media on a daily basis.

Apart from these two, Indian cricketers like Jayant Yadav and Naman Ojha will also play the tournament. Uncapped players like Nitish Rana, Kulwant Khejoroliya, Manan Vohra and many others are expected to take part in the pre-season tournament.

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Meanwhile, Ambati Rayudu has been confirmed as the captain of the host side Hyderabad. He has returned to his native state this year and has been handed the captaincy straight away.

Unlike the last seasons, there is a change in the format of the competition as now; the matches will be a one-day affair rather than a multi-day affair.

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