Duleep Trophy 2024 Squads Announced: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Miss Out as Rising Stars Prepare for Action

The Duleep Trophy, a cornerstone of domestic Indian cricket, is set to commence on September 5, 2024. This season’s tournament will feature a mix of established stars and promising young talent, although some notable names will be absent.

Star Players Absent from the Tournament

In a notable development, India’s captain Rohit Sharma, alongside Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah, will not participate in the upcoming Duleep Trophy. Their absence underscores their need for rest and preparation ahead of a busy international schedule, which includes 10 Tests over the next five months, with series against Bangladesh and Australia on the horizon.

Emerging and Current Stars to Watch

Despite the absence of these senior players, the tournament will showcase a number of high-profile cricketers. KL Rahul, who missed much of the recent Test series against England due to injury, and Rishabh Pant, returning from a lengthy rehabilitation period after a car accident, are among those to look out for. Additionally, players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Suryakumar Yadav are set to feature prominently.

Squads Announced for the First Round

The BCCI selection committee has announced the squads for the first round of the Duleep Trophy. The tournament will feature four teams, each led by a different captain. Here are the 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.

Logistical Adjustments and Future Prospects

Due to logistical reasons, one of the two opening matches, originally scheduled for Anantapur, may be moved to Bengaluru. This change is part of the BCCI’s broader strategy to enhance domestic cricket’s prominence and ensure a smooth start to the season.

The revised format of the Duleep Trophy, based on recommendations from a BCCI working group, aims to provide a more inclusive platform for players as India prepares for a hectic Test season. The four-team, round-robin competition will run until September 22, with the team topping the standings at the end of the phase being declared the winner.

As the Duleep Trophy gets underway, fans can look forward to a blend of established stars and emerging talent showcasing their skills ahead of a critical international season.