PTI

Shukla named Bengal skipper

Tue, Oct 27 09:54 PM

Kolkata, Oct 27 (PTI) The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) today named Laxmi Ratan Shukla as Bengal captain for the forthcoming Ranji season but did not specify whether the allrounder would remain the skipper for the entire year. Bengal selectors picked the captain as coach Roger Binny could not attend the meeting as his mother is seriously ill in Bangalore.

Binny will arrive tomorrow morning to attend the Ranji Trophy selection meeting which will also be attended by Shukla and CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya. Apparently, there were differences among the selectors over giving the captaincy to Shukla who was under severe criticism following Bengal''s hat-trick of losses to crash out of Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 meet.

Bengal, which promoted to Elite Division last season after being in the Plate division for a year, did not have a desired show in the JP Atray Memorial, Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup in the pre-season. "We have just picked the captain so that he can attend the meeting tomorrow.

The (CAB) president will also be present as there is some sentiments attached with Bengal''s string of losses. The picture will be clear tomorrow," CAB joint-secretary Biswarup Dey said.

Bengal will open their Ranji Trophy campaign against Maharashtra in an away encounter in Pune from November 3-6. PTI TAP NN SSC.

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