India announce 6-member squad for Davis Cup match against Pakistan; Sumit Nagal misses out
The Indian team named a six-member squad on Saturday (December 16) for their Davis Cup 2024 World Group I play-off match against Pakistan. The tie is scheduled to take place on the grass courts of the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad from February 3-4.
It is pertinent to note that India’s Davis Cup team hasn’t traveled to Pakistan since 1964. These two teams last met at a neutral venue in 2019. The former side emerged victorious 4-0 in the clash.
India will travel without Rohan Bopanna, who drew the curtain on his Davis Cup career in September. He played his last Davis Cup tie against Morocco.
Meanwhile, Sumit Nagal and Mukund Sasikumar pulled out of the Pakistan tie for various reasons.
The former currently leads the charts for India in the ATP rankings. Sumit Nagal is ranked 138 in the world, while Mukund Sasikumar is ranked 511. They are the country's top-ranked singles players.
The likes of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni will lead the Indian squad against Pakistan next year. For the unversed, the duo bagged a silver medal in the Asian Games doubles event.
Yuki Bhambri has also made it to the squad, while N Sriram Balaji and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha complete the squad, with Digvijay Pratap Singh as a reserve.
Rohit Rajpal will be at the helm of affairs as the non-playing captain, and Zeeshan Ali will take care of the coaching duties. On the other hand, the Pakistan team will be led by Aisam Ul Haq Qureshi.
As many as 24 teams take part in the World Group I play-offs. Out of these, 12 winning teams progress to World Group I, while the rest drop to World Group II.
A Davis Cup tie will have five matches taking place - four singles and one doubles. To win the tie, the team must win at least three matches.
Full Indian squad for Davis Cup tie vs Pakistan
Here’s a look at India’s complete squad for the upcoming Davis Cup tie:
Team India: Yuki Bhambri, Ramkumar Ramanathan, N Sriram Balaji, Saketh Myneni, Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha, Digvijay Pratap Singh (reserve)
Captain: Rohit Rajpal
Coach: Zeeshan Ali