Muzumdar boost for Andhra; Pradeep skipper

The state selectors today picked a 15-member squad for their first two matches against Services and Tripura.

The squad boasts of former Mumbai skipper Amol Muzumdar who held the record for most runs in Ranji Trophy till last year before being overtaken by his former team-mate Wasim Jaffer.

A veteran of 158 first-class games, Muzumdar represented Assam till last season.

The 25-year-old Pradeep will have Bodapati Sumanth as his deputy while T Vamsi Krishna was named the wicketkeeper.

Andhra have been clubbed alongside Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Services, Tripura, Goa, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Assam in the Group C in the rejigged Ranji Trophy format this season.

The Squad: A G Pradeep (capt), B Sumanth (v-c), Hemal Watekar, D B Prashanth, Amol Mazumdar, G Chiranjeevi, K Bharath Reddy, T Vamsi Krishna (wk), K S Shabuddin, D Shiva Kumar, T Atchuta Rao, P Vijay Kumar, Rajesh Pawar, S K M Basha and B Ayyapa.

Coach: Kaushik Patel.