Duleep Trophy 2024: Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and other stars eye Test comeback

Duleep Trophy 2024 will feature players like Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer among other stars.

The 2024 Duleep Trophy is set to be a star-studded event, with the Indian selectors and team management making it clear that performances in this domestic tournament will influence selections for the upcoming home Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand. With the notable exceptions of captain Rohit Sharma, former skipper Virat Kohli, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, nearly every regular player in the Indian team across formats is expected to participate in this year's competition.

Starting from September 5, the Duleep Trophy will provide several prominent Indian players with a chance to stage a comeback into the national Test squad. They will be aware that strong performances in this tournament could earn them a place in the Test squad for the series against Bangladesh, with the announcement of the squad expected shortly after the Duleep Trophy concludes.

The Duleep Trophy will take place in Bengaluru, with Andhra Pradesh hosting the matches. The BCCI has named the squads as Team A, Team B, Team C, and Team D. Shubman Gill will captain Team A, Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead Team B, Ruturaj Gaikwad will head Team C, and Shreyas Iyer will be the captain of Team D.

Players Expecting Test Return

Among those participating in the Duleep Trophy who have not been regulars in the Indian Test XI is Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep is a first-choice spinner for India in limited-overs cricket, but it remains to be seen if the selectors are prepared to grant him a similar role in Test matches. While he may not be viewed as the lead spinner in the format as long as Ashwin and Jadeja are around, Kuldeep’s outstanding recent form in white-ball cricket could make it difficult for the Indian management to overlook him.

Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, both of whom fell out of favour with the Indian team management and were even excluded from central contracts, now have an opportunity to prove their worth. Both players faced criticism for not participating in domestic cricket when requested, so this tournament is a chance for them to showcase their skills. Ishan appears to be quite low in the pecking order for a spot in the Indian team due to the presence of Pant and Rahul as wicketkeeper-batter options. However, Iyer, who will captain Team D, has a better chance, particularly given his existing rapport with head coach Gautam Gambhir, with whom he led Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title this year.

India’s new T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is currently far down the pecking order in Test cricket, having played just one match and scored eight runs in his career. He has expressed a strong desire to play Test cricket for India and recently participated in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament. However, he has been ruled out of the opening round of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy due to a hand injury sustained during the tournament. Whether this will end his already slim chances of a Test recall remains to be seen.

Players Making a Return from Injury

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will likely attract the most attention during the Duleep Trophy. Pant was virtually an automatic choice for India’s Test team before his career was interrupted by a car accident in December 2022. He made his return to international cricket at the T20 World Cup, and the Duleep Trophy will mark his first red-ball appearance since December 2022.

The main question for Pant is whether he can outshine KL Rahul in the battle for the lower-order batter and wicketkeeper position. Rahul has been in outstanding form as a wicketkeeper-batter during the 2023 World Cup and continued that performance into the Test series in South Africa. However, he missed four of the five Tests against England due to injury. With Pant’s return, Rahul’s place in the team is now under scrutiny despite his previous performances. Rahul will be representing Team A under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, while Pant will play for Team B, led by Abhimanyu Easwaran.

Another player making a comeback from a brief injury lay-off in Team B is the top all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The 35-year-old has not played since India’s T20 World Cup final against South Africa on June 29. Jadeja’s last red-ball appearance was in the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala in March.

Indian Test Schedule Ahead

Bangladesh, having just achieved a historic series whitewash of Pakistan away from home, will take on India in two Test matches. Following this, New Zealand will tour for a three-match Test series. This will be followed by what is arguably the highlight of the year – The Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which has been expanded to five Test matches instead of the usual four.