In a significant development for Indian domestic cricket, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhimanyu Easwaran have been appointed as the captains for the four squads participating in the prestigious Duleep Trophy. The decision was confirmed by BCCI officials and reported by Cricbuzz, highlighting the involvement of several players from India’s senior squads in the upcoming tournament. However, notable absences include Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya, who have not been selected.
Leading Team A is the dynamic Shubman Gill, who will have the support of experienced campaigners like KL Rahul, all-rounder Shivam Dube, and spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The team also features young talent such as Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel, promising an exciting mix of experienced and emerging players.
Abhimanyu Easwaran will take the reins of Team B, which boasts an impressive lineup, including explosive opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, all-rounder Washington Sundar, and veteran Ravindra Jadeja. The team is further strengthened by the presence of wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant. However, the squad will miss the services of Nitish Kumar Reddy if he fails to clear his fitness test.
Team C, under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad, shines with a strong batting lineup that includes Suryakumar Yadav and rising star Sai Sudharsan. The squad is rounded off with promising bowlers and fielders such as Rajat Patidar and young wicketkeeper Abishek Porel, ensuring a balanced team ready for the competition.
Shreyas Iyer will command Team D, which is composed of seasoned players and promising newcomers. The squad includes the likes of explosive batsman Ishan Kishan, upcoming star Devdutt Padikkal, spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel, and pacer Arshdeep Singh.
. This team is expected to put up a formidable challenge under Iyer’s seasoned leadership.
The BCCI has also announced that players selected for the home Test series against Bangladesh will be replaced in the Duleep Trophy squads, ensuring that the tournament maintains a high level of competitiveness. The Duleep Trophy is scheduled to begin on September 5 and will conclude on September 22. Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur and the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru have been chosen as the venues for this first-class cricket event.
Reflecting a significant shift in the structure of Indian domestic cricket, the squads for the Duleep Trophy align closely with the updates provided by Cricbuzz in mid-July. This update hinted at the likely increase in national team players’ involvement in the domestic circuit, a move that is seen as beneficial for both nurturing talent and providing match practice.
The squads for the Duleep Trophy are as follows:
Team A:
– 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, Shaswat Rawat.
Team B:
– 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, N Jagadeesan (WK).
*Subject to clearing fitness tests
Team C:
– 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), Sandeep Warrier.
Team D:
– 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), Saurabh Kumar.
The keen focus on the Duleep Trophy squads reflects the commitment to invigorating domestic cricket in India and providing a robust platform for players to showcase their skills. With established stars and emerging talents set to clash, the tournament promises to be an exciting prelude to the international cricket season.