Royals omit Mascarenhas

Mascarenhas is the only English player to join the IPL

Dimitri Mascarenhas, England’s only representative in the Indian Premier League, has been left out of the Rajasthan Royals team to play Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Hampshire captain has yet to play in the lucrative Twenty20 competition, after agreeing a short-term deal to leave his county commitments and join the Rajasthan franchise.

The Royals are captained and coached by former Hampshire skipper Shane Warne, who thinks highly of Mascarenhas.

But the franchise elected to play Swapnil Asnodkar, a 24-year-old batsman from Goa, instead.

Asnodkar repaid the faith placed in him by scoring a rapid 60 off 34 balls, which included 10 fours and a six, and sharing a stand of 53 with Yusuf Pathan.

Mascarenhas, 30, arrived in India on Monday having led Hampshire in the opening matches of the domestic season.

He is due to play in the IPL until May 12, when he will resume county duties. He may return to India if his franchise reach the semi-finals and finals.

Mascarenhas misses Hampshire's Friends Provident Trophy matches with Somerset, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, along with the LV County Championship game against Somerset at Taunton.