Ex-India opener dropped from Orissa squad for EZ zonal league

BHUBANESWAR: Former India opener Shiv Sundar Das, besides senior cricketers Pravanjan Mallick and Basanta Mohanty, have been dropped from the 18-member Orissa team for the inter-state One-day zonal league (East Zone) from February 10-18 at Cuttack.All-rounderNiranjan Behera will lead the side, which will have two new faces - all-rounderBiplab Samantaryay and wicket keeper Suhrajit Sahoo - Orissa Cricket Association(OCA) sources said. Orissa, Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Jharkhandwould vie with for the zonal title and the matches would be played in BarabatiStadium and the Revenshaw College ground. In the inaugural matchAssam will take on Jharkhand at Barabati stadium while Tripura would playagainst Bengal in Revenshaw ground. In the last match of the league,Orissa is scheduled to lock horns with Bengal on February 18 at RavenshawCollege ground. However, in the event of former India captain Sourav Gangulymaking it to the Bengal team, the match could be shifted to the Barabati stadiumfor security reasons, OCA sources said. The Orissa team: NiranjanBehera (Captain), Natraj Behera, Bikash Pati, Rakesh Mohanty, Haladhar Das (wk),Rashmi Ranjan Das, Subit Biswal, Paresh Patel, Biplab Samantara, Alok ChandraSahoo, Bibhudutta Panda, Subhrajit Sahoo (wk), Debasis Mohanty, Deepak Behera,Dhiraj Singh, Lagnajit Samal, Santosh Jena and Preetamjeet Das.