New Delhi – India’s most successful doubles player  Leander Paes has been dropped from the Davis Cup team that will square off against Uzbekistan in the second round of Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 tie, to be held in Bengaluru from Apr 7-9.

Paes, who made his Davis Cup debut against Japan in 1990 at Jaipur, has been dropped from the Davis Cup team on form for the first time in 27 years.

Leander’s exclusion means India’s highest ranked doubles player Rohan Bopanna will partner Sriram Balaji in the clash against Farrukh Dustov and Sanjar Fayziev in Bengaluru.

Ramkumar Ramanathan will face Temur Ismailov in the first singles rubber while injured Yuki Bhambhri’s replacement Prajnesh Gunneswaran will take on Fayziev in the second singles match.

In the reverse singles on Sunday, Ramanathan will face Fayziev and Gunneswaran will play the final rubber against Ismail. The 18-time grand slam champion recently won his first title of the season by winning the Leon Challenger Tour tennis tournament’s men’s doubles trophy.

In the current season, Paes has a 5-7 win-loss record on the ATP tour so far while compatriot Bopanna holds a 9-6 win-loss record.