NEW DELHI: Opener Gautam Gambhir will lead a second-string Indian side in the limited-over series in West Indies next month after the selectors rested regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and a few other senior players Friday. “Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan have been rested. They will be available for the Test series,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N. Srinivasan said in a statement after the selection committee meeting in Chennai. The June 4-July 10 series, featuring one Twenty20 and five ODIs followed by three Tests, will be Duncan Fletcher's first assignment as new India coach. Dhoni's absence gives 29-year-old Gambhir another crack at the captaincy, having led India to a 5-0 win over New Zealand in a one-day series last year. India will also be without opener Virender Sehwag, who is set to undergo shoulder surgery in England that renders him doubtful for the entire series. Dhoni's absence facilitated Parthiv Patel's inclusion, while the 16-member squad also has a second wicketkeeper in Wriddhiman Saha. In the bowling department, Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma will fill the void left by the absence of Zaheer and his new ball partner Ashish Nehra. Squad: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Suresh Raina (vice captain), Parthiv Patel (wicketkeeper), Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Subramaniam Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Vinay Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Amit Mishra and Wriddhiman Saha. Fletcher meets officials India's new cricket coach Duncan Fletcher says he is getting advice from his predecessor Gary Kirsten as he braces for the challenge of coaching the World Cup-winning team. Fletcher met Board of Control for Cricket in India officials and selectors Friday and said he had already spoken to Kirsten about his new job. “This is new challenge for me. I had a bit of advice from coach Gary Kirsten and bowling coach Eric Simons. I had another chat with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It is a very exciting job, coaching the world champion team. It's a high profile job,” Fletcher said. Murali to play in NZ Sri Lankan spin king Muttiah Muralitharan is to play in New Zealand's domestic Twenty20 competition next season after a deal was confirmed with the Wellington Firebirds Friday. Muralitharan, who holds the records for the most wickets in Tests and one-day internationals, is honoring a commitment made to former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming. Punjab beats Kochi In Indore, a rollicking century stand between Dinesh Karthik and Shaun Marsh led Kings XI Punjab to a six-wicket victory over Kochi Tuskers in the IPL Friday. Karthik (69) and Marsh (42) added 111 runs as Punjab scored 181-4 in 18.5 overs after having restricted Kochi to 178-7. Punjab went through some tough moments as left-arm pace bowler Rudra Pratap Singh claimed 4-25, but Australian batsman David Hussey led the team home with an unbeaten 21 — completing the win with a six off Shantakumaran Sreesanth. Kochi captain Mahela Jayawardene helped his team post a challenging target with a 52-ball 76. The win kept Punjab in contention with 10 points. Kochi also has 10 but has played a game more. Brief scores: Kochi Tuskers Kerala 178-7 in 20 overs (M. Jayawardene 76, B. McCullum 32, O. Shah 23; B. Sharma 2-32) lost to Kings XI Punjab 181-4 in 18.5 overs (D. Karthik 69, S. Marsh 42, D. Hussey 21 not out; RP Singh 4
