Marquee international players to play Duleep Trophy; Rohit, Kohli exceptions
Several marquee international players are set to feature in the 2024/25 Duleep Trophy, India's domestic red-ball competition. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has directed the Indian cricket stars to participate in the competition, exempting Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah from the same. Hardik Pandya, who does not feature in red-ball cricket anymore, is unlikely to play the tournament.
Why does this story matter?
As per a Cricbuzz report, the BCCI selectors along with head coach Gautam Gambhir collectively took a call on this. The cricket board has been urging the India international players to feature in domestic tournaments. Secretary Jay Shah recently stated that non-participation of centrally-contracted India players can have "severe implications". Notably, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were excluded from the central contract.
Rohit, Kohli exempted
As mentioned, Rohit and Kohli are free to decide whether or not to participate in the Duleep Trophy. The duo, as per a source, has been overworked. According to Cricbuzz, Rohit last featured in a domestic match in 2021. Kohli's last national-level appearance came in 2015. Rohit and Kohli helped India win the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.
What about other players?
As per Cricbuzz, international players, including KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas, and Ishan among others are likely to play the Duleep Trophy, "either partially or fully." All-rounder Hardik is expected to skip the tournament, while Bumrah will likely be rested. Mohammed Shami, who continues with his post-surgery rehabilitation, might also miss the tournament.
About the Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy, India's red-ball competition will be held in a league format, starting September 5. The four-team First-Class tournament has no knockout matches and will conclude on September 22. Notably, the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host the first match. In 2023, South Zone defeated West Zone to lift the Duleep Trophy cup.
