Multiple senior members of the India cricket team, including Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and more, will take part in the Duleep Trophy that will get underway from September 5. The players who are centrally contracted, alongside a specific talent pool that is under the radar of the selectors, have been asked to take part in domestic cricket tournaments which will determine their selection to the Test squad.
Top India stars to participate in Duleep Trophy
As per ESPNCricinfo, Pant, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan are some of the stars who will play the Duleep Trophy. The senior trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kolhi and Jasprit Bumrah are unlikely to take part in the tournament, with the duo of Ro-Ko given a choice to decide if they will participate while the premium pacer has been reportedly given an extensive break.
Rishabh Pant will play his first red-ball game in the Duleep Trophy following his horrific car crash in December 2022. The report further states that Shami, who is in the final stages of his recovery from injury at the NCA, will also be asked to play a match to prove his match fitness. The tournament will be a crucial factor in deciding the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia scheduled to begin in November.
The first Duleep Trophy game will reportedly be hosted at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru while the rest of the tourney will take place in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The tournament will be played between September 5-22 which will see the senior members of the India cricket team take part in the first round before the series against Bangladesh.
While Pant will aim to make his return to the Test side for the series against Australia, Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan will aim to make a point in order to cement their spots in the squad for the BGT. Both youngsters made their Test debut against England earlier this well and fared well in their outings.
