Sachin not part of Kerala’s T20 squad for first time in 12 years, dropped fresh from Ranji ton

Sachin Baby, one of the longest-serving members of Kerala cricket, will not be part of the state's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign for the first time in 12 years.

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) dropped the left-hander from its 18-member squad for the prestigious T20 tournament beginning November 16 in Lucknow.

Incidentally, Sachin was dropped from the squad just three days after he scored the state's first century of the Ranji Trophy campaign, making an unbeaten 122 against Madhya Pradesh. Kerala were on the verge of securing their first win of the season in Indore, but MP's tailenders stood firm to steal a draw.

KCA's chairman of the selection committee, P Prasanth, refused to label it a drop. "We thought of giving the opportunity to a group of youngsters who did well in the KCL. The vice-captaincy has been given to 19-year-old Ahammed Imran. Sachin had not been among runs this season, but he's always in our plans," Prasanth said.

Sachin had been Kerala's captain in the Syed Mushtaq Ali event since 2013, and he famously led the state team to its maiden Ranji Trophy final last season. The 36-year-old is Kerala's all-time highest run-getter, with over 10,000 runs across all formats. Sachin did not comment when asked about not being part of the squad.

Sanju Samson has returned to captain Kerala in the T20 event, with his brother Saly, who led Kochi Blue Tigers to the KCL title, also part of the squad. Rohan S Kunnummal, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Vishnu Vinod, Salman Nizar and M D Nidheesh are some of the experienced players who have been retained. IPL sensation Vignesh Puthur is also part of the 18-member squad.