The Duleep Trophy promises to be a star-studded event, with several international cricket regulars slated to represent their respective teams. However, notable absences from the lineup include Indian cricket stalwarts such as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah. While it was widely anticipated that Bumrah would be given the option to extend his rest period, there were speculations about Kohli and Rohit possibly participating in domestic cricket to prepare for the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh.
Surprisingly, the names of these two senior players were missing from the squads announced for Team A, Team B, Team C, and Team D. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has since clarified that the primary focus is on ensuring the fitness of Rohit and Kohli for India's five-match Test series in Australia later this year.
“Apart from them, everyone else is playing. You should appreciate that. One must note that Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer are playing in the Buchi Babu tournament,” Shah told The Times of India.
“We should not insist on players like Rohit and Virat to play in the Duleep Trophy. They will risk injury. If you have noticed, in Australia and England, every international player does not play domestic cricket. We have to treat the players with respect,” he further said.
The Duleep Trophy this year serves as a precursor to India's upcoming home Test season, during which they will host Bangladesh for two matches followed by New Zealand for three. Shubman Gill, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shreyas Iyer have been appointed as captains of Team A, Team B, Team C, and Team D, respectively.
Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was a key player in the Indian Test team and arguably the most in-form batsman before his career was temporarily halted by a serious car accident in December 2022. He made his return to international cricket during the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the Duleep Trophy will mark his first red-ball appearance since a Test match against Bangladesh in December 2022.
Left-handed wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, who was excluded from BCCI's central contracts list after opting out of the Ranji Trophy tournament last season in favor of the IPL, will also be making a comeback in the Duleep Trophy. Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja will be representing Team B, alongside Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Washington Sundar. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill will lead Team A, which includes Kuldeep, KL Rahul, Shivam Dube, and Riyan Parag, among others.
Also read| Ricky Ponting feels this player can surpass Sachin Tendulkar's record for most runs in Test cricket
