London, Sep 1: Karnataka speedster Prasidh Krishna, who has been a standby player with the Indian team for the past three months, was on Wednesday added to the main squad ahead of the fourth Test against England here.
The decision is an indication that Prasidh could be in line for a first XI call-up either at the Oval or in Manchester with the team management keen to monitor the workload of frontline pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee - based on the request of the team management - has added fast bowler Prasidh Krishna to India's squad for the fourth Test," BCCI secretary Jay Shah stated in a release.
However, bowling coach Bharat Arun maintained that Krishna's inclusion was a "precautionary" measure.
"He (Prasidh) has been included in the team, mainly because, considering all the workload management issues an...there is nothing more to it than that," Arun said at the virtual press conference before the fourth Test starting here on Thursday.
"So Ishant's (Sharma) form was a bit of concern, I think, but we have things sorted out. But Prasidh Krishna is just you know, a precautionary inclusion," added Arun.
The 25-year-old has played only nine first-class games with 34 wickets in his kitty. Earlier this year, he played three ODI matches at home against the same opposition, taking six wickets.
The five-match India-England series is currently locked 1-1.
India's squad for the fourth Test: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
Standby player: Arzan Nagwaswalla.
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New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI): The BJP lashed out at AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday citing an RTI reply that revealed Rs 3.69 crore was spent annually between 2015 and 2022 for the regular maintenance of the former chief minister's bungalow at 6, Flagstaff Road.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, quoting the RTI reply, said a total of Rs 29.56 crore was spent between March 31, 2015, and December 27, 2022, on general repairs, sewage, electricity and structural works of the bungalow that was occupied by Kejriwal when he was the chief minister.
While the BJP leader asked Kejriwal to "come forward and explain what exactly was lacking in his bungalow that required Rs 31 lakh to be spent every month on its maintenance", the AAP sought to know what the ruling party would achieve by abusing Kejriwal.
The opposition party pointed out that the bungalow was a government accommodation, not Kejriwal's private property.
Sachdeva said details obtained through a Right To Information (RTI) query have shown that Rs 3,69,54,384 was spent annually on regular maintenance of the bungalow.
Kejriwal, who came to power with promises of leading a government for the common man, was exposed by his "luxurious lifestyle" at the "Sheesh Mahal" constructed "secretively at a cost of Rs 52 crore", Sachdeva claimed.
The BJP has been targeting the AAP and Kejriwal over the reconstruction works at the bungalow, describing it as a "Sheesh Mahal" for its "expensive" interiors and household goods.
"We are presenting more evidence of Kejriwal's five-star lifestyle and corruption, and we demand an immediate response from him," Sachdeva said at a press conference here.
The Delhi BJP chief said a person from Maharashtra had filed the RTI query, seeking details of the maintenance expenses on the bungalow and added that the figures revealed Kejriwal's "extravagant lifestyle" and "corruption" in government works.
"In Delhi, where one can build a decent 250-300 square yard house spending Rs 3 to 4 crore, the cost of maintenance of Kejriwal's bungalow at Rs 3.69 crore annually is astonishing," he said.
The BJP leader said that Kejriwal has been avoiding answering the questions for a long time. The people of Delhi expect him to come forward and clarify what exactly was so deficient in his bungalow that Rs 31 lakh per month was needed for its maintenance, he added.
AAP hit back, saying the BJP "betrayed" Delhi and did not provide Rs 2,500 for women and free cylinders on Holi which proved that their poll promises were just gimmick.
While Delhi is suffering due to power cuts and arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, the BJP president is busy hurling abuses at Kejriwal, the opposition party alleged.