Lomror removed as captain, Suthar to lead Rajasthan

Jaipur: Mahipal Lomror has been removed from the captaincy of the Rajasthan team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26. The senior selection panel, under the observation of a five-member committee, on Saturday named young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar as the new captain for the first three matches. Senior all-rounder Deepak Hooda has been appointed vice-captain.Lomror, who had led Rajasthan since Nov last year, retains his place in the 17-member squad but will no longer be in charge of the side."These are strange calls. Why would you remove Mahipal when he has been performing well and is a very good white-ball player? First, your selectors are not qualified enough for the job, and then you form an observation committee to oversee the selection process. The laws prohibit such a set-up. The game is being run in the state with complete disregard for the laws," a source in the know told TOI.Both the selection panel and the observation committee have been appointed by four Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) ad hoc members.On the bowling front, senior left-arm pacers Aniket Choudhary and Khaleel Ahmed have both been ‘rested' for the opening phase of the tournament.Adding to the pace concerns, Deepak Chahar, who is nursing a hairline fracture in one of his feet sustained during a training session at home, is yet to recover fully and has not been considered for selection at this stag.The T20 domestic tournament will begin from Nov 26. Placed in Elite Group ‘D', Rajasthan will play their first three matches against Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Karnataka in Ahmedabad.Squad for first three matches: Manav Suthar (captain), Deepak Hooda (vice-c), Mahipal Lomror, Kartik Sharma, Ram Niwas Golada, Ram Mohan Chauhan, Ajay Singh Kookna, Ashok Sharaptainma, Akash Singh, Ajay Raj Singh, Sahil Dhiwan, Bharat Sharma, Kunal Singh Rathore, Sachin Yadav, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shubham Garhwal and Rahul Chahar.

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