Indian right-arm fast-medium pacer S Sreesanth was named in Kerala’s list of players for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament. The domestic T20 tournament scheduled to begin in January, 2021, could witness Sreesanth making a comeback after a seven-year-ban on charges of match-fixing.

Sreesanth was India’s premier pacer having been a part of both the 2007 and 2011 World Cup-winning teams. He represented Rajasthan Royals in the IPL after playing his part in the Kings XI Punjab and Kochi Tuskers Kerala. As a player, former captain MS Dhoni always banked on him irrespective of the format, Sreesanth, who was 30-year-old that time– was aiming at a comeback in the national side. However, post an IPL game versus Mumbai Indians, he was arrested and charges of spot-fixing hovered on his head. The pacer saw a ban enforced on his cricket career that was only last year reduced to seven years.

After serving the ban by the BCCI, Sreesanth is ready to make a come back, starting from the domestic level. Only a few days after the 37-year-old said his aim is to be listed in India’s 2023 World Cup squad, he featured in the list of players for the Kerala cricket team announced by the state cricket board for the T20 event in Mumbai scheduled from January 10.

Earlier, he was included in the list of players for the local T20 event in Alappuzha this month. But the inaugural KCA President’s Cup T20 was deferred as the KCA did not get the government nod due to the spread of coronavirus.

A Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) official said Sanju Samson will lead the Kerala team. Sachin Baby is his deputy.

Besides, Sreesanth, Samson and Baby, the others are Basil Thampi, Jalaj Saxena, Robin Uthappa, Vishnu Vinod, Salman Nizar, Nidheesh M D and Asif K M, Akshay Chandran, Abhishek Mohan SL, Vinoop S Manoharan, Mohammed Azharuddeen M, Rohan S Kunnummal and Midhun S. Four new faces—Vathsal Govind Sharma, Sreeroop M P, Midhun P K and Rojith KG have also been included.