'Sriram Balaji has been a very good servant for Indian tennis, but it was felt that he has become a bit soft and we need to groom players who can take the team forward.'
The AITA selection committee on Tuesday dropped N Sriram Balaji for the upcoming Davis Cup against the Netherlands but other selections were on expected lines.
The first round Qualifiers tie will be played in Bengaluru on February 7 and 8.
India's singles challenge will be led by Sumit Nagal, while the squad also features doubles specialist Yuki Bhambri along with Dhakshineswar Suresh and Karan Singh.
Experienced doubles player Balaji has been left out of the squad, with the selection committee opting to look ahead as part of a longer-term plan.
Explaining the decision, India captain Rohit Rajpal said the selectors want to invest in young players.
"The selection committee felt it was time to look ahead. Sriram Balaji has been a very good servant for Indian tennis, but it was felt that he has become a bit soft and we need to groom players who can take the team forward," Rajpal told PTI.
In this scenario, Yuki will play with Rithvik Bollipalli.
The reserve players named for the tie are Aryan Shah, left-handed Aniruddh Chandrashekhar and Digvijay Singh.
Local player Prajwal Dev and young prospect Arnav Paparkar will also be called to the training camp as practice partners.
Squad: Sumit Nagal, Dhakshineswar Suresh, Karan Singh, Yuki Bhambri and Rithvik Bollipalli.
Reserves: Aryan Shah, Anirudh Chandrashekhar and Digvijay Singh.
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