T20 exploits earn Tambe Mumbai Ranji Trophy call-up at 42

Leg spinner Pravin Tambe was on Monday surprisingly included in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team to take on Jharkhand in the four-day Group A match starting at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on December 6.

Lack of top quality spinners has apparently forced the Mumbai selectors to include 42-year-old Tambe, who made his mark in T20 cricket while playing for Rajasthan Royals in last season's Indian Premier League and Champions League T20 but is yet to figure in first class cricket.

Tambe, who plays for the D Y Patil Sports Academy in local cricket, has picked up 13 wickets in eight T20 games in his career. He will complement left arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar.

The defending champions made a few other changes in their squad that whipped Vidarbha by 338 runs on Sunday.

The unavailability of captain and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who is leaving for South Africa, has once again opened the doors for Kshemal Waingankar to take his place in the squad.

All-rounder Abhishek Nayar will lead the side in Zaheer's absence.

Squad: Abhishek Nayar (captain), Aditya Tare (vice-captain), Wasim Jaffer, Hiken Shah, Suryakumar Yadav, Sushant Marathe, Vishal Dabholkar, Siddhesh Lad, Javed Khan, Shardul Thakur, Akbar Khan, Kshemal Waingankar, Manish Rao, Pravin Tambe, Sagar Kerkar.

Coach: Sulakshan Kulkarni.

Image: Pravin Tambe

Photograph: BCCI