Tamil Nadu could be without paceman T. Natarajan and top-order batsman Ganga Sridhar Raju for the season-opening Ranji Trophy clash against Andhra beginning here on October 6. Both are recovering from fitness concerns.
And paceman Aswin Crist, grappling with a back problem, might be out for most part of the season.
The selectors will meet here on Tuesday to pick the squad and name the captain. They have some key decisions to make.
Vijay Shankar was the front-runner for captaincy but his selection in the India-A squad for the one-day series against New Zealand-A rules him out of the first two matches.
It has to be seen whether the selectors still go ahead and name Vijay Shankar as skipper for the season — the vice-captain could take over in his absence.
Dinesh Karthik, former captain, will also be unavailable for a couple of games since he has been picked in the India T20I squad against Australia.
Will Abhinav Mukund, who led the side to Ranji semifinals last season, be coerced into captaining the side again despite his reluctance to do so? While Dinesh Karthik and Vijay Shankar will not be around, the return of heavyweights R. Ashwin and M. Vijay bolsters Tamil Nadu.
Could one of them be offered captaincy on a short term basis — both Ashwin and Vijay are expected to feature in the home Test series against Sri Lanka later in the season — till Vijay Shankar returns?
There might be a couple of selection worries as well. With Ashwin coming back to the State side and the in-form Washington Sundar also available, how would the wise men pick another off-spinner, Malolan Rangarajanwith, who has a good record at Chepauk? The squad could include senior left-arm spinner Rahil Shah; will there be room for promising left-armer Sai Kishore?
The lively K. Vignesh is expected to lead a pace pack that might comprise M. Mohammad, seam-bowling all-rounder J. Kousik and either R. Rohit or L. Vignesh. B. Anirudh Sita Ram, a left-handed stroke-maker in the middle-order, could be a fresh face in the squad. N. Jagadeesan is likely to be the wicketkeeper-batsman.
Talented young batsmen S. Radhakrishnan and Pradosh Ranjan Paul, among the probables, could be asked to play in the under-19 competitions till there is room for them in the squad.
What will the selectors and the team-management come up with on Tuesday?
