The Indian cricket team is gearing up for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, but the second round of the Duleep Trophy will see a significant change in the line-up. The majority of the players selected for the opening Test match, including Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, have been rested for the tournament. This decision aims to provide these key players with adequate rest and preparation for the Test series.
Other players included in the Indian Test squad on Sunday, such as Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Akash Deep, have also been exempted from the second round of the Duleep Trophy.
However, Sarfaraz Khan and left-arm bowler Yash Dayal, both included in India’s 16-man Test squad, have not been released from their Duleep Trophy commitments, suggesting they might not feature in the playing eleven for the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai.
The BCCI has announced replacements for the players granted exemptions from the Duleep Trophy. Pratham Singh will replace Gill, Akshay Wadkar will step in for KL Rahul, and SK Rasheed will take Jurel’s place in the India A squad. Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani will replace Kuldeep, and Aaqib Khan will fill Akashdeep’s spot in the same team.
Mayank Agarwal will captain India A in Gill’s absence, with Suyash Prabhudessai and Rinku Singh replacing Jaiswal and Pant, respectively. In India D, Axar Patel has been replaced by Nishant Sandhu.
Meanwhile, pacer Tushar Deshpande will miss the second round due to a niggle and will be replaced by Vidwath Kaverappa. The India C team, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, remains unchanged.
In the opening round of the Duleep Trophy, Pant, who last played red-ball cricket in December 2022, along with KL Rahul and Akash Deep, delivered impressive performances.
The updated squads for the Duleep Trophy are as follows:
