Sajid Lodi confident of India’s chances in Junior Davis Cup Finals

Our team is strong and we have a good chance to finish in the top-8. We will take it from there, says the captain-cum-coach

The Indian team sported a confident look on the eve of its departure for the Junior Davis Cup Finals to be staged in Antalya, Turkey, from November 1 to 6.

The Indian under-16 boys’ team had qualified in style by winning the Asia-Oceania competition in Delhi earlier this season.

Even though there were two changes from the three-member team that progressed to the World Group, captain-cum-coach Sajid Lodi was happy with the team.

Rushil Khosla was the hero of the team that won the event, but his teammates Bushan Haobam and Debasis Sahoo have slipped in the rankings and dropped out of the squad.

In their place, Kriish Tyagi and Vansh Nandal have earned their berths with good performances at the national and international level.

“Our team is strong and we have a good chance to finish in the top-8. We will take it from there,” said Sajid, even as he picked Rushil for special praise.

“Until he played the Junior Davis Cup we had known Rushil only as a left-hander, especially good in doubles. But the way he played against Iran and Japan, we do know that Rushil has evolved into an excellent player. He has been playing very good in the ITF junior events. He generates a lot of spin and will have the edge on the clay courts in Antalya,’’ observed coach Sajid.