India Faces Off Against Togo: Can a Shorthanded Team Secure Victory in the Davis Cup?

NEW DELHI – India is gearing up for its first home Davis Cup tie in two years, but there’s a twist: the team will be without its top players. Sumit Nagal and Yuki Bhambri will not participate in the two-day event against Togo at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association complex.

Nagal, ranked No. 106 in singles, is competing in Buenos Aires, and Bhambri is coming off a loss in France. Despite this setback, the team is optimistic about their chances against No. 73 ranked Togo.

Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj commented on the situation, sharing that Yuki wouldn’t have played singles anyway. He expressed disappointment that Sumit isn’t available, especially since playing in front of a home crowd often boosts player confidence.

The last time Bhambri represented India was in a playoff against Pakistan, and Nagal last played in September against Morocco. India won both matches. Now, if the team defeats Togo, they could advance to the World Group I tie this September.

With Togo not having any singles players ranked in the top 1,200, India might find this match fairly easy. The team consists of Sasikumar Mukund at 365, Ramkumar Ramanathan at 406, and Karan Singh at 496. Their combined efforts should put them in a good position to win.