In a significant development for Indian domestic cricket, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhimanyu Easwaran have been named the captains of the four squads for the Duleep Trophy. According to a report by Cricbuzz, the majority of the players from India’s senior squads have been selected to play in the tournament’s first round, excluding prominent names such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya. Additionally, R Ashwin has not been picked for the tournament, and Mohammed Shami continues to undergo rehabilitation.
Shubman Gill, the promising young talent, will lead Team A. This team boasts a mix of experienced players and young guns such as Riyan Parag, KL Rahul, Shivam Dube, and Kuldeep Yadav. With Gill at the helm, Team A aims to set a high standard in the competition.
Abhimanyu Easwaran will don the captain’s armband for Team B, a squad featuring the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rishabh Pant. This lineup strikes a balance between explosive batting and strategic all-rounder capabilities. Notably, all-rounder Nitish Reddy is included in the squad but his participation will depend on passing the required fitness tests.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has been entrusted with the leadership of Team C. His squad includes stars such as Suryakumar Yadav, Sai Sudharsan, and Rajat Patidar, enhancing its batting strength. Gaikwad’s leadership will be crucial in harnessing the potential of his squad and aiming for the title.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer will captain Team D. Iyer’s squad is packed with talent, including notable players like Devdutt Padikkal, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh.
. Additionally, Ishan Kishan is set to make his return to action in this team.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also confirmed that the players selected to represent India in the forthcoming home Test series against Bangladesh will be replaced in the Duleep Trophy squads. The tournament is scheduled to begin on September 5, with Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur and the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru designated as the hosting venues. This prestigious first-class tournament will conclude on September 22.
The squads for the Duleep Trophy reflect the updates previously provided by Cricbuzz in mid-July, which indicated the potential increase of national team players participating in the domestic competition. This inclusion aims to bolster the quality and competitiveness of the tournament.
Team A includes: Shubman Gill (C), Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kumar Kushagra, and Shaswat Rawat.
Team B comprises: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Musheer Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Yash Dayal, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Awasthi, and N Jagadeesan (WK).
Team C’s lineup features: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Abishek Porel (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, B Indrajith, Hrithik Shokeen, Manav Suthar, Umran Malik, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Anshul Khamboj, Himanshu Chauhan, Mayank Markande, Aryan Juyal (WK), and Sandeep Warrier.
Team D’s contingent consists of: Shreyas Iyer (C), Atharva Taide, Yash Dubey, Devdutt Padikkal, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ricky Bhui, Saransh Jain, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Aditya Thakare, Harshit Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Sengupta, KS Bharat (WK), and Saurabh Kumar.
*Subject to clearing fitness tests.
The Duleep Trophy, named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji of Nawanagar who was a renowned Indian Test cricketer, holds substantial significance in the Indian domestic cricket circuit. The inclusion of key national players in the squads this season elevates the tournament’s profile and promises an exciting contest of top-tier cricket. As the competing teams prepare for the matches, cricket enthusiasts eagerly await the showcase of talents and strategic gameplay set to unfold from September 5 to September 22.