The Duleep Trophy, a prestigious domestic cricket tournament in India, was initially scheduled to kick off with two sets of first-round matches in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh on September 5. However, due to logistical inconveniences, one of those opening games has been relocated to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Why a change in schedule for the Duleep Trophy?
Anantapur, approximately 230 km away from Bengaluru, posed challenges in terms of connectivity. Since the city is not directly connected via flight, the decision was made to shift the match to Bengaluru. This move aims to accommodate some of the top players and allow them to experience red-ball cricket ahead of the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.
Regular Team India players like Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin are unlikely to participate in the first round of the Duleep Trophy. They are expected to join the national squad directly before the Bangladesh series. However, other prominent players, including Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Kuldeep Yadav, may be available either fully or partially for the tournament.
DULEEP TROPHY UPDATES. [Express Sports]
– Rohit & Kohli likely to play
– Gill, Rahul, Axar, Jadeja, Jaiswal, Surya, Kuldeep have been asked to play
– India A, B, C, D will feature in the tournament
– Ishan likely to be included
– BCCI planning to conduct one round in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/pTMtP6R1lg— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 12, 2024
The selectors are also considering giving Rishabh Pant an opportunity in the Duleep Trophy. If this happens, it will be Pant’s first red-ball tournament since his return from a car crash. He has been part of India’s white-ball squads and was included in the T20 World Cup 2024 team.
The availability of top players will depend on the dates of the preparatory camp that the team management is planning to hold in Chennai before the Tests against Bangladesh.
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