'RINKU SINGH DIDN'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY MAYBE BECAUSE...': SOURAV GANGULY

NEW DELHI: Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly reassured Rinku Singh not to be disheartened by his exclusion from India's T20 World Cup squad, emphasizing that it was a tactical decision by the team management.

Ganguly explained that India opted for an "extra spinner" considering the spinning conditions expected in the West Indies, which might have impacted the selection process.

Rinku, known for his explosive batting and finishing skills with a strike rate of over 176 in 15 T20Is and as a key player for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, was likely edged out due to this strategic choice.

"It's West Indies. The wickets may be slow and assist spin so they (selectors) wanted to go with another spinner. Maybe because of that Rinku didn't get an opportunity but it's just the beginning for Rinku," Ganguly said at the Trophy unveiling ceremony of the Bengal Pro T20 League.

Ganguly anticipated that India and Australia would dominate the tournament similar to how they did in the 50-over World Cup last year. India will kick off their group stage matches in the USA, commencing their campaign against Ireland on June 5.

The tournament will then transition to the Caribbean countries for the Super Eight onwards.

"India and Australia the two best teams of the tournament. I'm sure they will do the same thing in the USA and the West Indies," Ganguly said.

On the Indian squad, Ganguly said: "It's a fabulous squad, they are all match winners. All 15 are good enough to be selected, I'm sure Rohit (Sharma) and Rahul (Dravid) will pick the best."

Meanwhile all the eight franchises and their marquee players in the Bengal Pro T20 League were also announced. The inaugural edition of the league will take place at Eden Gardens and Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus ground from June 11-28.

The Teams

Kolkata Royal Tigers (areas: Kolkata & Hooghly) (marquee players: Abhishek Porel and Mita Paul).

Harbour Diamonds (North & South 24 Parganas) (Manoj Tiwary and Sukanya Panda).

Rashmi Medinipur Wizards (Medinipur and Jhargram) (Abhimanyu Easwaran & Richa Ghosh).

Servotec Siliguri Strikers (Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Kalimpong) (Akash Deep and Priyanka Bala).

Adamas Howrah Warriors (Howrah, Purulia and Bankura) (Anustup Majumdar and Dhara Gujjar).

Malda Sobisco Smashers (Dinajpur and Malda) (Mukesh Kumar & Rishita Basu).

Murshidabad King (Murshidabad and Nadia) (Sudeep Gharami and Deepti Sharma).

(With PTI inputs)