India’s domestic season gets underway at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru which will host the opening round of the Duleep Trophy from September 5. The fixture was originally scheduled to be played at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the KSCA about the shift last week.
“Yes, Chinnaswamy will be hosting the opening round. Just that game. We were told by the BCCI about the decision last week and we are ready to host the fixture, always ready to host cricket. There is still time for the match and the venue will be ready,” KSCA president Raghuram Bhat tells CricketNext.
It is understood that most of India Test regulars are likely to feature in the opening round which could also see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in action. The participation of two is still not confirmed but most of other India Test players, including the ones on selectors’ radar for the longest format will grind it out in the whites.
Unlike previous editions where zonal selectors picked different squads for the multi-day tournament, the men’s senior selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar will be picking the four squads from this edition. The chairman had made it clear during a press conference last month that “some in the squad will play”.
“I haven’t discussed with Gautam yet. It’s not always easy. But there will certainly be enough players out of that squad that are likely to play the first (Duleep Trophy) game at least. That’s the only game they can really play. We’ll sit down and discuss which guys really need to play.
“It’s nice for the competition if all your top players come and play. It is not easy with such a packed and long season, it’s tough for the players if they have a week off somewhere to make them play. There will be some in the squad who will play,” Agarkar had said.
Fast bowling depth, wicketkeeper
Fast bowling depth is likely to be a key focus during formation of these squads because India are set to play ten Tests, including five away in Australia, in the next 5-6 months. While Jasprit Bumrah’s workload has to be carefully managed, the management would also want to have backups ready for someone like Mohammed Siraj as Mohammed Shami is yet to regain match fitness.
The tournament is a good opportunity for the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar to make a strong case for themselves. Most of India quicks are currently training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) where a training and bowling camp is underway.
Also in attention would be the wicketkeeper-batter slot. With Pant making his 50-over return, he is likely to be in the scheme of things for the longest format too and the Indian think-tank will be taking that call on the basis of his readiness.
The youngster has kept and batted without any discomfort since his return to action and Duleep Trophy could well be an opportunity for him to test his long-format fitness too.
In Pant’s absence, India tried Dhruv Jurel who did a brilliant job in the home series vs England. Now with Pant back in the mix and Ishan Kishan eager to play domestic cricket, there is going to be healthy competition for the wicketkeeper-batter spot.
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