Ganguly still hopes for World Cup

Sourav Ganguly in pensive mood before a Duleep Trophy match

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, now 34, has not given up hope of playing in a third World Cup.

Ganguly has not played in India's one-day international side for more than a year, but boasts an enviable batting record in World Cups.

And he hit 118 not out for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy on Monday.

Ganguly said: "I hope to play in the World Cup, that's my target. But my job is to play and score runs. It is up to the selectors to decide the team."

Ganguly has hit 844 runs in World Cups at an amazing average of 81.78 with four centuries, a record he shares with Mark Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar.

But while Tendulkar will doubtless have the chance to add to his tally in the Caribbean next year, Ganguly does not currently figure in the selectors' thinking.

One Indian batsman under some pressure is the 19-year-old Suresh Raina, without a half-century in his last 14 one-day internationals.