Ashok Dinda, R. Ashwin two new faces for Indian squad

Mumbai,Dec.2 (ANI): West Bengal pace bowler Ashok Dinda and Tamil Nadu's all-rounder R Ashwin are the two new faces that have been included to the Indian squad for the two T20 matches against Sri Lanka.

The selection committee, headed by former captain K Srikkanth, opted to offer an opportunity to a few upcoming youngsters who performed well in the domestic circuit.

Paceman Dinda, 25, who impressed in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League and has been a consistent performer in the Ranji Trophy matches for Bengal and Ashwin, a promising off-spin bowler and a useful batsman at the tail end, were included into the squad by the selectors.

The team announced for the India's T20 and One-day series against Sri Lanka commencing on December 9 includes pace bowler S Sreesanth in the T20 and One-day Day squads for the series against Sri Lanka, which begins from December 9. He seems to have been rewarded for making an impressive return to the international cricket.

While Team India pace spearhead Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who astonished the Sri Lankans on the third Test match on Wednesday with his impressive bowling, have been rested for the two Twenty20 matches.

Delhi paceman Ashish Nehra also found a place in both the squads, Sudeep Tyagi, the Uttar Pradesh speedster, who was in India's One-day squad during the recent series against Australia has been retained in the squad for the two T20 matches and the first two One-dayers.

Ishant Sharma, who is presently struggling with form, has been included in the T20 squad but could not make it to the ODI team. It will have Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Nehra, Sreesanth and Tyagi as specialist pace bowlers.

Gautam Gambhir has been named in both the squads.

BCCI secretary N Srinivasan after a meeting of the selection meeting here announced the Indian team on Wednesday evening.

Indian Squads:

For T20s: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Yusuf Pathan, R Ashwin, S Sreesanth, Ashok Dinda, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha and Rohit Sharma.

For first two ODIs: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, S Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Sudeep Tyagi and Virat Kohli. (ANI)