As the Duleep Trophy gets underway in Bengaluru and Anantapur on Thursday, it serves as a crucial prelude to a pivotal Test season for the Indian Cricket Team. While all eyes will be on Rishabh Pant’s return to red-ball cricket following his recovery from a serious car accident, the selectors will be keenly observing the performance of potential backup options for the frontline stars.
Pant, who last played a red-ball match in December 2022 against Bangladesh, will be representing Team B, led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, in the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Although his form in limited-overs cricket has been satisfactory, the four-day format of the Duleep Trophy will test his ability to bat and field for extended periods. Pant, chosen as Team B’s wicketkeeper, will be under scrutiny as the selection panel led by Ajit Agarkar aims to assess his suitability for the crucial wicketkeeper-batter role, especially considering the upcoming World Test Championship Final at Lord’s in June.
However, Pant’s return is just one part of the equation. The Duleep Trophy presents an opportunity for other promising wicketkeeper-batters to make their mark. Dhruv Jurel, who impressed in his debut series against England earlier this year, will be leading the charge for Team A. Ishan Kishan, representing Team D in Anantapur under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership, will be eager to use the tournament as a platform to stake his claim for a return to the Indian team after a string of unfortunate events that cost him a central contract.
Meanwhile, the middle order also presents a competitive landscape. With the return of veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the Bangladesh series, the batting spots are set. KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Sarfaraz Khan, who made a spectacular Test debut against England, will be vying for the remaining middle-order position. Rahul, representing Team A, and Shreyas, who missed significant portions of the home series against England due to injuries, will be looking to impress in the Duleep Trophy.
The bowling department also presents areas of concern. While India has consistently relied on the potent pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami, the selectors are keen on building a strong backup for the upcoming season. Especially with Shami recovering from surgery and Siraj unavailable for the first round due to illness, there is a need to assess the capabilities of potential replacements.
The Bengal pair of Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep, who both made impressive Test debuts, along with Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Vidwath Kaverappa, Vysakh Vijayakumar, and Harshit Rana, will be under the watchful eyes of the selectors. While the spin bowling unit boasts established players like Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin, the selectors are looking for backup spinners who can step up if needed. Saurabh Kumar, Washington Sundar, and R Sai Kishore, the top wicket-taker in the last Ranji season, will be hoping to impress.
Beyond the established players, a number of fringe players are looking to make their mark. Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal, who had a stellar Ranji season, will be looking to build on his impressive Test debut against England. Tamil Nadu’s Baba Indrajith, a consistent performer in domestic cricket, will be aiming to continue his good form. Musheer Khan, younger brother of Sarfaraz Khan, has made a promising transition to First-Class cricket after excelling in the Under-19 circuit. B Sai Sudharsan, who made his white-ball debut for India, will be hoping to showcase his red-ball abilities for Team C.
The Duleep Trophy promises to be a thrilling competition, providing a platform for established players to regain form, emerging talents to make their mark, and the selectors to assess the future of the Indian Cricket Team.
