The Kerala Cricket Association’s (KCA) efforts to find a professional guest player, who can open the innings for the state team next season, received a setback when Punjab opener Jiwanjot Singh rejects the offer made to him. However, the state cricket body with the help of some of its former players and selectors are closing in on finalizing the guest player who will turn out for Kerala next season.
Among the half-a-dozen players who have made contact with KCA, former Tamil Nadu top-order batsman Arun Karthik and India `An’ opener Tanmay Srivastava have emerged the frontrunners to make the Kerala switch. “Jiwanjot informed that the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) were reluctant to leave him and he wouldn’t be getting an NOC from them.
It seems KCA’s search for an opener may well end with a toss-up between Karthik and Srivastava. The advantage of Tanmay Srivastava is a left-handed opener with a sound technique.
