Overview
- Experienced doubles specialist N Sriram Balaji was left out of India’s squad for the Netherlands qualifier on February 7–8 in Bengaluru, with the captain calling him a core member still under consideration.
- Rohit Rajpal said the doubles choice prioritized a deuce-court specialist, naming Rithvik Bollipalli to complement Bhambri’s ad-court role.
- Rajpal stressed the decision was tactical and not a judgment on Balaji’s ability or standing, noting he could be considered for the next tie if fit.
- Reserve Aryan Shah notified the All India Tennis Association of his unavailability after the announcement, which drew AITA displeasure.
- Reports say AITA may not seek a replacement because reserves Anirudh Chandrasekhar and Digvijay Pratap Singh are already present, with rankings context noting Shah at 403 behind Sumit Nagal at 277 and selections including Karan Singh at 471 and Dhakshineswar Suresh at 524.