No central contract if you’re not playing domestic cricket, a rise in pay for domestic players, and a selection of major stars in the Duleep Trophy 2024. These are some crucial steps that the BCCI has taken to endorse the talent pool of domestic Indian cricketers. Hence, the attention was bound to fall upon this season’s Duleep Trophy and it must be said that the tournament has not disappointed yet. After two sets of fixtures, three teams are still in contention for the title, barring Shreyas Iyer’s India D.
From Musheer Khan’s brilliance on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy curtain-raiser to Abhimanyu Easwaran’s marathon vigil in Round 2, the tournament has seen some superb performances thus far. With this edition of the Duleep Trophy grabbing all the headlines, all the players have been determined to eke out impressive performances. On that note, let us look at three players, who have done exceptionally well in the Duleep Trophy, and have a slight chance to break into the Indian national Test team.
Musheer Khan to join brother Sarfaraz in India team?
India B were 94/7 when Musheer Khan grabbed all the headlines for his impeccable display of resilience and temperament. Against international pacers like Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep, and Avesh Khan, Sarfaraz Khan’s young brother, Musheer came up with a match-winning knock of 181. The young lad toiled for as many as 373 deliveries, and it was his supreme talent that caught attention.
However, this isn’t the first time Musheer has displayed grit in the domestic level. In fact, Musheer scored a double century (203) in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Baroda when his team had its back to the wall. At 19 years old, Musheer became the youngest Mumbai player to score a century in a Ranji Trophy final when he hit 136 against Vidarbha. Also, with 360 runs in seven matches, Musheer was India’s second-highest scorer in the U-19 World Cup earlier this year — only behind skipper Uday Saharan. His left-arm spin fetched him seven wickets.
The 2005-born has huge potential. While his Sarfaraz toiled for years to break into the national team, if Musheer continues his run-scoring march, he may replicate his brother’s footsteps. Musheer has all the team in his hands, and his probable selection in India A team for a Test tour in Australia is a sign of better things to come.
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Harshit Rana to rejoin Gautam Gambhir?
One wicket in IPL 2022, 5 in IPL 2023, and then 19 scalps in this year’s IPL 2024. Harshit Rana has grown in stature massively in the last couple of years. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer was one of the best-uncapped players alongside Nitish Reddy in IPL 2024, dismissing the likes of Virat Kohli, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, and many other veterans. His speed, coupled with disciplined bowling in good-length areas, makes him an exciting prospect.
Moreover, Rana knows how to tonk the ball a long way, having a first-class hundred and a fifty to show. In the Duleep Trophy, the Delhi-born pacer began his campaign with a great spell of 4/33, where he sent back the likes of Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Rana once again took four wickets in the first innings of the second match, consistently hitting the right areas. Even with the willow in his hand, Rana struck a 29-ball 31.
Harshit Rana worked with Gautam Gambhir at KKR in IPL 2024. Hence the current India head coach knows about Rana’s ability and can fast-track him into the national setup sooner rather than later.
Manav Suthar, another left-arm talent!
While India has no dearth of left-arm spin options, another talent that has come to the fore is Manav Suthar. The Rajasthan-born has been making significant strides in his cricket career. His clean bowling action and ability to deceive batters with his flight have caught the attention of many.
In a relatively short span of 16 First-Class matches, Suthar has already claimed 73 wickets, demonstrating his impressive wicket-taking capabilities. He has also represented India at the U-23 Emerging Asia Cup and made his debut in the Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans (GT) under Shubman Gill’s captaincy.
Suthar stole all the show in IND C’s opening clash against IND D, where he outshone someone like Axar Patel. While Patel claimed three wickets in the entire match, Suthar turned the ball square and mustered a 7-wicket haul to lead his side to a win. In the second game, it was Suthar’s batting that shone brilliantly. After Ishan Kishan’s hundred, Suthar hammered 82 runs, showing his technicality as a batter against the likes of Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Sai Kishore and Washington Sundar.
Although India have sorted replacements for Ravindra Jadeja in the form of Axar Patel and potentially Sai Kishore, Manav Suthar (22-year-old) might have a bright future ahead.
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