India axe seamer Sharma for World T20, Asia Cup

Lanky seamer Ishant Sharma has paid for his inconsistent form by being dropped on Tuesday from India's squads for the World Twenty20 and Asia Cup tournaments to be held in Bangladesh. Sharma proved expensive during the 4-0 rout in the recent one-day series in New Zealand, even though he claimed nine wickets in the first Test in Auckland, which India lost by 40 runs. Suresh Raina, a regular in India's limited-overs squad in recent years, was omitted for the Asia Cup one-day tournament after making just one half-century in his last 24 innings. But the left-hander was retained for the World Twenty20 along with Yuvraj Singh, who helped India win the inaugural event in South Africa in 2007 and was man of the tournament at the 2011 World Cup. Top-order Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who has played just two one-day internationals, replaced Raina in the Asia Cup squad. India will clash with arch-rivals Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the Asia Cup to be hosted in Dhaka and Fatullah from February 25 to March 8. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men will stay back in Bangladesh for the World Twenty20 that opens on March 16. India have been drawn alongside Pakistan, Australia, West Indies and a qualifier in group two. World Twenty20 squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma, Varun Aaron. Asia Cup squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra, Ishwar Pandey. Source: AFP