Hyderabad will miss out on the services of their key bowlers Mohammad Siraj and Chama Milind for the first phase of the Ranji Trophy. While Siraj got selected for India A team for the unofficial One-Day series against New Zealand A, Milind is nursing an injury.
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In fact, Siraj will miss the second contest as well, as the India A selectors have retained the bowling unit for all the five matches.
It has now come as a big blow for Hyderabad as these two were the key bowlers in the team in the previous season. They sharpened their skills well under Bharat Arun – now the bowling coach of Indian cricket – which benefited the team as a whole.
A superb performance in the Ranji season saw Milind playing for India A while Siraj attracted a bid of Rs 2.6 Crore in IPL auction.
It has though come as a boon for Sudeep Tyagi, who last played for the state in 2015/16 season. Riding on the performances in the pre-season tournament, he has made a comeback to the senior side and is expected to lead the pace attack for the season opener.
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Meanwhile, the state association is still sweating over the availability of Pragyan Ojha. He hasn’t been given an NOC by Cricket Associaton of Bengal (CAB). Should CAB decide to release Ojha, Hyderabad is ready to accept their prime spinner with open arms.
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