Is it curtains for Bhandari?

Expecting a similar treatment in the home match against Mumbai, starting at Ferozeshah Kotla on Sunday, Bhandari bade the team goodbye, in case they didn8217;t see him again in the dressing room. On Friday morning, the bowler with 300-plus scalps for Delhi made it clear to the senior selection committee that unless he8217;s required to play in the XI, he should not be picked in the squad.

Narwal included
With coach Vijay Dahiya and skipper Aakash Chopra giving no guarantee, the selectors had little choice, excluding Bhandari from the 15-member squad and drafted in seamer Sumit Narwal.

8220;Horses for courses, that8217;s what I will say,8221; selection committee chairman Chetan Chauhan told Sportline. 8220;The team management decided they cannot play Bhandari on this wicket against Mumbai, so we didn8217;t pick him. We don8217;t want to humiliate a senior player by making him sit out.

8220;Whenever we think he8217;s the man, we will call him. It8217;s not end of the road for Bhandari. We won8217;t allow a senior player to exit like that,8221; he added.

Anil Jain, another selector, concurred. 8220;Bhandari still has the potential to get wickets, but he cannot sit out like that. We had asked the coach and skipper that if Bhandari has to be selected, then he will have to be played. I have no idea why they backtracked from their words, this isn8217;t the way to handle senior players,8221; Jain said.

Meanwhile, the 30-year old veteran of 95 matches said he himself wasn8217;t thinking of retiring yet. 8220;I am just taking a break. If the Delhi selectors want to use my experience in future games, I am available but I will stick to my stand. If I am called, I should be in the XI,8221; Bhandari said.

8220;I am hurt that despite bowling well against Punjab, they treated me shabbily. I can8217;t bowl at speeds of 140 plus but does that mean I am ineffective? I got vital breakthroughs in the first match and you need wickets to win. Pace alone can8217;t get you success,8221; he said. The team management got flak for not playing a second spinner in Hyderabad. The selection committee also sought clarification on Ashish Nehra8217;s fitness.

No injury, Nehra fit to play
Ashish Nehra8217;s MRI scan has revealed no muscle tear and the fitness report faxed from team physio has cleared the left-arm seamer for the game. However, the team management wants to take the call on Nehra on the morning of the match.

The team management has instructed the curators to prepare two pitches 8212; a green top and a typical flat Kotla wicket. With 12 points from two matches, Mumbai have virtually qualified for the quarterfinals while Delhi, with just four points from two outings, need an outright result to stay afloat.

Though the team initially contemplated on playing on a green top in search of five points, they8217;re likely to play it safe in this match, if Nehra is not fit.