February 5, 2014 8:53 AM

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Cricket: Harbhajan to lead Rest of India vs K'taka in Irani Cup match

Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will lead a 15-member Rest of India squad as they take on Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka in the Irani Cup match in Bangalore from February 9. The squad also includes seasoned opener Gautam Gambhir. However, the two other out of form seniors — Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag — were once again ignored in the team. Harbhajan's and Gambhir's inclusion in the team means that they are still in selectors' radar for the longer version. The batting line up for Rest of India squad includes Ranji Trophy's top-scorer Kedar Jadhav along with youngsters like Jiwanjot Singh, Tamil Nadu's Baba Aparajith, Maharashtra's Ankit Bawne, Punjab's Mandeep Singh, who have scored heavily in this year's national domestic tourney. Odisha's Natraj Behera, who had a prolific season despite his state not qualifying for the knock-outs, was included in the side. The spin department is taken care of by Harbhajan Singh and leggie Amit Mishra while Jammu and Kashmir captain Parveez Rasool will be the third spinner. Veteran Rajasthan seamer Pankaj Singh, who has been performing in the domestic circuit year after year have finally found a place . This year also, he has taken 39 wickets. Varun Aaron is also there in the squad with Bengal's Ashoke Dinda and Railways' Anureet Singh who have made it to the squad on the back of some match-winning performances for their respective teams.

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