Updated on Thursday, September 21, 2006, 00:00 IST

Kolkata, Sept 21: Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly today said he was looking forward to playing in the Challenger Trophy and prove his mettle to the national selectors.

"I don't expect to be in Kolkata during the pujas. I will probably be gone for the Challenger," Ganguly said during a function at his restaurant Sourav's.

"I am now practising with the Bengal team. I have got runs in the Moin-ud Dowla trophy," he said.

"I know I have to score runs consistently, so I am looking forward to playing the Challenger if I get a chance," Ganguly said, adding "I want to use domestic tournaments for making a comeback into the national squad."

The squads for the Challenger series, to be played from October 1 to 4 in Chennai, is to be picked on Sep 26.

Ganguly had skipped the challenger series last year citing tennis elbow.

The tournament came close on the heels of his spat with coach Greg Chappell during the tour of Zimbabwe.

Regarding Irfan Pathan, who has hit a bad patch in his career, Ganguly, during whose tenure the pacer was selected to the Indian team, said, "Ups and downs are part and parcel of every cricketer's life, he is only 21 years old and has a lot of cricket left in him. He will come back again."

Bureau Report