Rohit Rajpal to be India's non-playing captain for Pakistan tie, "end" of Bhupathi era

The national tennis federation on Monday named former India player and chairman of the its selection panel, Rohit Rajpal as India's non-playing captain for the upcoming away Davis Cup tie against Pakistan, signalling end of Mahesh Bhupathi's era.

There was speculation that veteran Leander Paes could be considered for the job after the 46-year-old made himself available following pull-outs from top players and skipper Bhupathi.

The November 29-30 contest in Islamabad has already been rescheduled once owing to security concerns raised by India.

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) decided to appoint Rajpal at its Executive Committee (EC) meeting which was followed by Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chandigarh.

"Former President Anil Khanna and incumbent Praveen Mahajan proposed Rohit Rajpal's name and everyone agreed. Rajpal will go to Pakistan as non-playing captain and this arrangement is only for this tie, as of now," an AITA source said.

The source added that Bhupathi, whose term