Assam Ranji coach Gursharan Singh (left) and Rashmi Ranjan Parida during the selection camp for the Assam Ranji team at Nehru stadium. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Oct. 26: Assam’s new outstation recruit Rashmi Ranjan Parida was today entrusted with the responsibility of captaining the state senior team in the Ranji Plate Group campaign that gets under way at the Maligaon Railway Stadium from November 3.

Announcing the team this evening, Assam Cricket Association secretary Bikash Baruah said the team has been announced for the first game only and that Parida, a seasoned and prolific batsman from Orissa, was the perfect choice to lead the squad which is a mixture of youth and experience.

An ACA source said the decision to hand over the captaincy to 31-year-old Parida was a unanimous one. He is from the East Zone and is quite familiar with the playing conditions across the country. Most importantly, he gels with the team.”

“He will have something to prove as batsman and captain after his stint with Orissa ended in 2007,” another source said.

Parida has made 5,830 runs for Orissa in 88 Ranji games.

The selectors — Nagesh Singh (chairman), Munna Kakoty, Mukut Das and K.K. Baruah — laid stress on the combination of youth and experience.

Their intention to gel the two was evident from the selection of Swarupam Purkayastha, Sib Sankar Roy and Amit Sinha who have been named for the first time and are currently part of the under-19 team. Also included are Tarjinder Singh and Kunal Saikia, who are part of the under-22 team, along with talented pacer Krishna Das.

A source said along with these five talented players, the selectors have also included all-rounder Mrigen Talukdar and senior batsman Nishanta Bordoloi.

Assam will Bengal in the first match and the result of the tie will have a crucial effect on the performance of the team in the season ahead.

“The team appears to be very competitive. There is competition for every spot, but all those selected will be given a fair run before being replaced as all the remaining matches are outside Assam. The team has seven specialist batsmen, two seasoned spinners in Arlen Konwar and Anand Katti, three all-rounders in Dhiraj Goswami, Talukdar and Purkayastha and two genuine pacers in Krishna Das and Mark Ingty,” a source said.

Team: Rashmi Ranjan Parida (captain), Nishant Bordoloi, Deepak Sharma, Jacob Martin, Kunal Saikia (wicket-keeper), Krishna Das, Amit Sinha, Dhiraj Goswami, Arlen Konwar, Anand Katti, Mark Ingty (subject to BCCI approval), Sib Sankar Roy, Mrigen Talukdar, Swarupam Purkaystha and Tarjinder Singh.

Coach: Gursharan Singh

Physio: Jaspal Singh

Manager: Gaffar -u- Zaman.