Media365
Sumit Nagal and Yuki Bhambri have returned to the Indian Davis Cup squad for the upcoming World Group I first-round clash against Switzerland, to be held in Biel from September 12. This will be Nagal’s first appearance since the 2023 home tie against Morocco, while Bhambri re-enters the fold after missing two consecutive ties. India’s top-ranked singles player Nagal had missed the historic away tie in Pakistan earlier this year as well as the subsequent contests against Sweden and Togo. His form this season has dipped, resulting in a current ranking of 306. A semifinal finish at the Trieste Challenger in Italy remains his best result in 2024. In singles, Nagal will be joined by Karan Singh (403) and 19-year-old Aryan Shah (442). Sasikumar Mukund (463) and Dakshineshwar Suresh (790) have been named as reserves. Bhambri, currently India’s highest-ranked doubles player at 35, will partner N Sriram Balaji (75) for the tie. Rithvik Bollipalli (77) is the reserve doubles player.
Bhambri had last played for India during the away win over Pakistan in February, but sat out of the ties against Sweden and Togo. Captain Rohit Rajpal backed his comeback along with Nagal’s return despite surface challenges. “Sumit Nagal had a great journey to top-100. He plays at a high level, he can make those adjustments. It’s not going to be easy,” Rajpal told PTI. The tie will be played indoors, with Rajpal acknowledging the likely fast conditions. On Dakshineshwar’s inclusion, he added, “We have been studying his game for some time. His hard court game is good. He is 6’5″ and has a big serve, and this is going to be an asset on fast indoors courts.” Rajpal confirmed that the final playing team will be chosen based on form, fitness and match sharpness during practice in Biel.
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Ramkumar Ramanathan was dropped from the squad, with selectors pointing to a lack of form and struggles on the Challenger circuit. The squad was finalised by the AITA selection panel, led by Nandan Bal. India led the head-to-head against Switzerland 2-1, with the last meeting in 1993 resulting in a 3-2 win for the hosts in Calcutta South Club.
Indian Squad vs Switzerland
Singles: Sumit Nagal, Karan Singh, Aryan ShahDoubles: Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram BalajiReserves: Dakshineshwar Suresh, Sasikumar Mukund, Rithvik Bollipalli
