New Delhi, Aug 17 (FN Bureau) Sumit Nagal will spearhead a five-member Indian tennis squad in the Davis Cup 2024 World Group I tie against Sweden next month, All India Tennis Association (AITA) announced on Friday. India is set to clash with Sweden on September 14 and 15, with the matches scheduled on the indoor hard courts of the Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm. The team will see a change in leadership, as former national champion Ashutosh Singh steps into the role of national coach, following the recent resignation of long-time coach Zeeshan Ali. Nagal, currently ranked 74th in the world and India’s top singles player, makes his return to the Davis Cup team after missing the previous tie against Pakistan in Islamabad in February.
However, India will be without its top doubles player, Yuki Bhambri, ranked 48th globally, who has opted out of the upcoming contest. In Bhambri’s absence, N Sriram Balaji, ranked 69th in the world, will take the lead in doubles. Notably absent from the squad is Mukund Sasikumar, India’s third-highest-ranked singles player at world No. 476, who was not selected for the tie. Meanwhile, Ramkumar Ramanathan, who holds a singles ranking of 324 and doubles ranking of 139, has secured a spot on the team and is expected to contribute in both singles and doubles events. Niki Poonacha, who debuted in the Davis Cup against Pakistan, and former national champion Siddharth Vishwakarma have also been included in the lineup. Aryan Shah has been named the reserve player. Both Vishwakarma and Shah will make their Davis Cup debuts. Rohit Rajpal will continue in his role as the non-playing captain of the team. India’s Davis Cup 2024 Tennis Team vs Sweden: Sumit Nagal, Ramkumar Ramanathan, N Sriram Balaji, Niki Poonacha, Siddharth Vishwakarma. Reserve Player: Aryan Shah.