The prestigious Duleep Trophy is set to see the participation of some of India’s premier cricketing talents, with Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhimanyu Easwaran appointed as the captains of the four teams. This announcement, as reported by Cricbuzz, brings a significant spotlight to the tournament, which will feature the majority of players from India’s senior squads, with notable exceptions such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya.
Experienced spin wizard R Ashwin has also been left out, while pace bowler Mohammed Shami continues his rehabilitation and will not partake in the competition.
Shubman Gill will lead Team A which includes the likes of KL Rahul, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, and Kuldeep Yadav among its ranks. It’s an ensemble of established and emerging talents, set to make their mark in the historic tournament.
Meanwhile, Team B, overseen by Abhimanyu Easwaran, features young prodigies and seasoned players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rishabh Pant. Nitish Reddy, an all-rounder, is also part of the squad though his participation remains dependent on fitness.
Team C will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad with an impressive lineup that includes Suryakumar Yadav, Sai Sudharsan, and Rajat Patidar. This team is expected to display an aggressive brand of cricket with a balanced mix of youth and experience.
Shreyas Iyer will helm Team D, which boasts of players like Devdutt Padikkal, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, and the potent fast bowler Arshdeep Singh. This combination promises a tough contest on the field.
The BCCI has revealed that players chosen for the home Test series against Bangladesh will be withdrawn from their respective Duleep Trophy squads. The tournament kicks off on September 5 and will be hosted by Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur and the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, culminating on September 22.
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In mid-July, Cricbuzz had hinted at the possibility of more national team players participating in the Duleep Trophy. That update now seems prophetic with the release of the official squads.
**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).
**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.
This roster showcases a rich field of cricketers who are either knocking on the doors of the national team or already part of it, providing a fantastic blend of polished skill and raw potential for fans to enjoy. The Duleep Trophy, traditionally a proving ground for emerging cricketers, will see increased national attention with these high-profile participants.
With the commencement nearing, cricket enthusiasts highly anticipate thrilling performances as these players vie for supremacy and make their cases for national selection. The Duleep Trophy’s historical significance coupled with this stellar lineup promises an unforgettable season of first-class cricket. It will be interesting to observe if any standout performances will lead to overdue national call-ups, especially with the looming international fixtures for Team India. For now, the eyes of the cricketing world are set on the grounds of Anantapur and Bengaluru for what promises to be a memorable Duleep Trophy.