The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a significant change to the upcoming Duleep Trophy, deciding to host the opening fixture at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from September 5. While Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh was initially designated as the venue for the multi-day tournament, the season opener has been shifted to Bengaluru to ensure the participation of several prominent Indian cricketers.
This decision stems from the BCCI’s desire to have key players, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, participate in the Duleep Trophy to get into match form before a packed international calendar. The Indian team is scheduled to play a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, starting on September 19, followed by a series of high-profile matches.
Sources within the BCCI and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) confirmed the change to Sportstar, indicating that the remaining five four-day fixtures will be held in Anantapur as per the original schedule.
While the decision to move the opening fixture was made unanimously by the national selection committee and the coaching staff, it was decided that the final call on participation would rest with Rohit and Kohli, considering their workload.
Jasprit Bumrah is also unlikely to feature in the tournament, as the team management wants him to focus on regaining full fitness ahead of the upcoming season. However, other prominent international players such as Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to participate in the first game.
With a potential return to international cricket during the Test series against New Zealand in October, it remains to be seen whether Mohammed Shami will participate in the latter stages of the Duleep Trophy. Currently, he is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru following surgery.
