Manas Dhamne on Monday earned his first call-up to India’s main Davis Cup squad, while the team management retained the core that produced a historic win over the Netherlands for the crucial Qualifiers Round 2 tie against South Korea in Seoul on September 18-19. World No. 362 and the country’s No. 2 singles player, Dhamne has been knocking on the doors of the senior team. He joins India’s singles group comprising seasoned campaigner Sumit Nagal, ranked 235, and Dhakshineswar Suresh, ranked 393, the breakout star of the previous tie in Bengaluru.
Yuki Bhambri, ranked 28, and N Sriram Balaji, ranked 57, form the doubles combination. Sidharth Rawat, ranked 536, and promising youngster Arnav Paparkar, who has been competing in junior Grand Slams, have been named as the two reserves. “Most players selected themselves. Manas was not available for the previous tie, this time he was. While he is in the main squad, the captain will decide if he suits the conditions or the other singles players. Arnav is in the side as we need to groom the future generation,” a selection committee member told.
The selection reflects continuity after India’s remarkable 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in Bengaluru in February, which took the country into the second round of the Qualifiers for the first time since the Davis Cup format was revamped in 2019. Dhamne’s inclusion is the only major change to the main squad, with Nagal, Suresh, Bhambri and Balaji retaining their places. The 19-year-old has been among India’s promising young players and his elevation gives the team another singles option ahead of the hard-court contest in Seoul.
Dhakshineswar, meanwhile, has gone from a promising squad member to an automatic singles choice after his extraordinary performance against the Netherlands. The 26-year-old won both his singles rubbers and also partnered Bhambri to victory in the doubles, becoming the first Indian in recent memory to contribute to all three wins in a Davis Cup tie. His biggest moment came in the deciding fifth rubber when he defeated world No. 162 Guy den Ouden 6-4, 7-6(4) to seal India’s 3-2 win. A day earlier, he had stunned world No. 88 Jesper de Jong in straight sets, before returning to the court on Sunday morning to help Bhambri win the doubles.
Dhakshineswar’s Bengaluru heroics were particularly significant because India had been up against a Netherlands side ranked sixth in the Davis Cup standings. His three-win haul helped India register its deepest run in the competition in 15 years and set up the September meeting with South Korea.
South Korea, meanwhile, also came through a 3-2 thriller in the opening round, overcoming Argentina in Busan after trailing 1-2. Soonwoo Kwon and former Australian Open semifinalist Hyeon Chung won the final-day singles rubbers to send the Koreans through.
The winner of the Seoul tie will qualify for the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna in November, giving India an opportunity to reach the elite stage of the competition for the first time in the current format.
India’s five-member squad for the tie:
Singles: Sumit Nagal, Dhakshineswar Suresh, Manas Dhamne
Doubles: Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram Balaji
Reserves: Arnav Paparkar, Sidharth Rawat