Sport - Cricket

Exposure trip for Kerala under-16 team

KOCHI: The Kerala Cricket Association has decided to give its under-16 State team some exposure trips to neighbouring States before the forthcoming South Zone inter-State championship in October.

With the BCCI, the national body, knocking off the under-15 and under-17 age groups this year and bringing in the under-16 division, the KCA expects the competition to be intense this season. And since it is expected to rain during the next few months, the State association will be sending the team to neighbouring States.

“We will be sending the boys to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to play a few matches…there is a plan to send them to Sri Lanka too,” said P.V. Sirajuddin, the KCA Joint Secretary here on Monday evening. “The team will be watched closely and if the boys don’t perform well, some of the reserves will be brought in. The team will play at least 10 three-day matches before the South Zone.”

Thiruvananthapuram’s Abhishek Mohan will lead Kerala at the South Zone event but the championship venue has not been finalised. Wynad’s Saly V. Samson is the vice-captain.

The team: Abhishek Mohan (capt, Tvm), Saly V. Samson (v. capt, Wyd), R.S. Renjith (Tvm), Navaneeth Jose (Klm), Nithin Jacob Philip (Tvm), Jackson Cleetus (Klm), Sanju V. Samson (Tvm), Shyam Shanker (Tvm), Rahul Krishnan (Klm), Aju Jose (Idk), Salmon Sebastian (Ekm), Godson A. Lewis (Tsr), Akshay Chandran (Knr), Adit Ramesh (Knr), C.A. Mathew (Ekm).

Reserves: V.S. Aditya (Tvm), Aquib Fasal (Pkd), A. Sourag (Knr), Mahin T. Majeed (Idk), Tony Jose (Ktm), Rahul Ramanan (Alp), C.K. Abdul Jalal (Idk). — Principal Correspondent

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