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India dropped 14 places to 40th place in February edition of the Davis Cup, continuing their fall in the position in the tournament over the last 20 years. After loss against Norway and Denmark in the World Cup relegation playoffs, India dropped to Group Two for the first time in their history in the tournament.
Rohit Rajpal has been India’s non-playing captain for the last four years and has won two games while losing four. In spite of his underwhelming record, AITA has backed Rajpal, and the 52-year-old will continue to lead the Indian Davis Cup contingent till next year.
“Rajpal’s wealth of experience, both as a former professional tennis player and as an esteemed coach, has been instrumental in shaping the Indian Davis Cup team into a formidable force in international tennis,” the All India Tennis Association said in a statement.
Rohit was drafted as captain of the team in 2019 amid a controversy over India’s tie against Pakistan, which was eventually shifted to a neutral venue in Kazakhstan. India’s only victories under Rajpal came against a depleted Pakistan side in 2019 and Denmark at home in 2020.
Anil Dhupar, the Secretary General of AITA also heaped praise of Rajpal. “We are delighted to extend Rohit Rajpal’s tenure as the captain of our Davis Cup team. His leadership qualities, vast knowledge of the game, and ability to bring out the best in our players make him an invaluable asset,” he said.
India is scheduled to play Morocco in the Davis Cup World Group-2 tie at home in September.