Mumbai: With top players pulling out, national cricket selectors on Wednesday opted to inject new blood by including rookie speedster Avishkar Salvi and prolific Delhi opener Gautam Gambhir and two other fresh faces in the 15-member Indian squad for the triangular series in Dhaka from April 11-20.

Middle-order batsman Abhijit Kale and leg spinner Amit Mishra are the two other newcomers in the new-look squad which will have Virender Sehwag as the vice-captain.

The vacancies arose after top batsman Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble and Ashish Nehra opted out of the tour on various grounds.

The rest of the members of the World Cup squad have been retained including those who did not get a look-in - Sanjay Bangar, Ajit Agarkar and Parthiv Patel.

The only surprise inclusion in the squad announced by Cricket Board Secretary S K Nair was offie Sarandeep Singh who has been recalled after a fairly long gap. "These players got the nod on the basis of their consistent performance in the domestic cricket and during India 'A's tour of West Indies," Nair told reporters.

V V S Laxman, skipper of the India 'A' team, and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik were not considered for selection as they were carrying injuries.

Nair said both Tendulkar and Nehra will have to undergo surgery and could be out of action for at least five to six weeks. "Srinath had asked for rest while Kumble said he had some urgent personal matter to attend to. So they were not considered for selection," Nair said.

The 21-year-old Mumbai speedster Salvi's inclusion was a foregone conclusion after his stellar performance during India 'A's tour of West Indies as was described as the "find of the tour" by coach Ashok Malhotra after he grabbed as many as 31 wickets.

Gambhir, who aggregated 617 runs on the tour and has been on the selection fringe for quite some time, was finally rewarded for his consistency over the past two years.

In Tendulkar's absence, Gambhir is expected to take the opener's slot along with either Sehwag or captain Saurav Ganguly.

Middle-order batsman Kale will be stepping into the shoes of Rahul Dravid who pulled out due to a finger injury sustained during the World Cup semi-final against Kenya.

The Dhaka tourney will offer young Parthiv Patel, the lone wicket-keeper in the squad, a chance to showcase his skills with the gloves after he was forced to watch the World Cup action from the sidelines.

The selectors preferred to strengthen the spin department considering the slow tracks of the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka by inducting three specialist spinners at the expense of a medium-pacer.

The team will leave for Dhaka from Kolkata on April 9.

Extras:
Salvi, Gambhir, Kale, new faces in Indian team