The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday announced that Sourav Ganguly [Images] was dropped from the team for the third ODI against Australia in Hyderabad.

"Ganguly was dropped today," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said.

"Yes, Ganguly was fit for this match, but he was dropped," he went on to add.

The left-hander missed the second ODI in Kochi after being asked to rest his hamstring injury, but was declared fit for the Hyderabad match.

When he was not included in the team for Friday's match, many thought he had not fully recovered. But Shah surprised everyone whne he confirmed that the former India captain was not rested, but left out of the team.

India preferred to play Mumbai youngster Rohit Sharma in place of Ramesh Powar, continuing with the policy of giving younger players a chance.

Asked the reasons for Powar's exclusion, Shah replied: "I don't know why he was dropped. You got to ask the selectors."

Surprisingly, Powar's name figures in the 15-man squad for the next two one-dayers against Australia, to be played in Chandigarh, on October 8, and Baroda, on October 11, respectively.