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The All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Friday, August 16 announced five-member team for the upcoming Davis Cup tie against Sweden. India is set to face Sweden on indoor hard courts at the Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm on September 14 and 15. The top ranked Indian men’s singles player, Sumit Nagal will return to the setup after he missed the tie against Pakistan in Islamabad on grass court in February 2024.
Moreover, Nagal will lead the five-member team with Yuki Bhambri opting out of the side. In Yuki Bhambri’s absence, N Sriram Balaji has found a place in the team. Another notable absentee in the side is India’s third highest ranked player, Sasikumar Mukund. It is to be noted that Mukund is currently serving a two-tie suspension imposed by the AITA Executive Committee following his refusal to participate in Pakistan earlier this year.
Apart from Nagal and N Sriram Balaji is Ramkumar Ramanathan, Niki Poonacha and Siddharth Vishwakarma. While Poonacha made his debut against Pakistan, Vishwakarma makes his comeback. While they complete the five-member team, Aryan Shah has been named as a reserve player. Rohit Rajpal returns as captain after missing the Pakistan tie due to personal reasons. The AITA opted for Ashutosh Singh as the new coach after considering several candidates, including M Balachandran and even former players like Somdev Devvarman and Aditya Sachdeva.
India’s Davis Cup 2024 team vs Sweden
Team India: Sumit Nagal, Ramkumar Ramanathan, N Sriram Balaji, Niki Poonacha, Siddharth Vishwakarma.
Reserve Player: Aryan Shah
Captain: Rohit Rajpal
Coach: Ashutosh Singh
