The Tamil Nadu duo of Shahrukh Khan and R Sai Kishore have been drafted into India's squad as stand-bys for the three T20Is in Kolkata between February 16-20. Both players will therefore be unavailable for the early parts of the Ranji Trophy that the BCCI is set to announce soon.
Over the past three seasons, both players have played key roles in Tamil Nadu's emergence as a white-ball force. Shahrukh has been the side's designated finisher, while Sai Kishore has been the side's go-to bowler in the Powerplays and death overs with his left-arm spin.
Both players played a significant part in Tamil Nadu defending their T20 crown last November when they beat Karnataka in a thriller. Sai Kishore set the game up with his three-wicket haul - including two big strikes in the Powerplay - to restrict a powerful line-up.
Then with the trophy on the line, both players combined to deliver the finishing touches with the bat. Shahrukh hit an unbeaten 15-ball 33, including a last-ball six over deep square leg, to bring home the title.
Sai Kishore finished the T20 tournament with 10 wickets in eight games at an economy of 6.06. This came on the back of two path-breaking seasons prior to that. In the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, his economy of 4.63 was the best among bowlers who delivered at least 20 overs, while in 2020-21, he had an economy of 4.82, the second-best with the same cut-off.
These strong performances earned him a place in India's T20 squad as a reserve in a second-string national squad that toured Sri Lanka last July.
Both players are expected to be among prominent uncapped signings at the IPL auction on February 12-13.
Shahrukh, signed by Punjab Kings for INR 5.25 crore ahead of IPL 2021, was released after just one season. Sai Kishore is yet to make his IPL debut although he has been part of the Chennai Super Kings set-up since 2019.
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