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Senior Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be absent from the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which also kicks off the country’s domestic season. Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin will not participate. The 2024 Duleep Trophy starts on September 5 with four teams competing, though the mentioned stars will not be among the participants.
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravichandran Ashwin will skip the Duleep Trophy 2024.
Initially, it was expected that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would participate in the Duleep Trophy to gear up for the upcoming home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. However, with India’s demanding Test calendar—including a five-match series in Australia—both players are likely to be rested.
ESPNCricinfo has confirmed their absence, noting that fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will also miss the tournament, considering the intense home season and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ahead.
India’s schedule includes two Tests against Bangladesh next month, followed by a three-match series against New Zealand. After that, the team will travel to Australia for the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Other Indian players will participate in the Duleep Trophy.
Under the new BCCI policy, contracted players are expected to participate in domestic cricket when not on national duty, except in cases of injury. However, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are exempt from this requirement as the board aims to manage their workload effectively.
According to the regulations, other Indian internationals such as Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul will compete in the Duleep Trophy 2024. The tournament is set to be held primarily in Anantapur, with a possibility of one match taking place at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru due to logistical considerations.
Mohammed Shami is expected to play in the Duleep Trophy.
In a positive development for Indian cricket, fast bowler Mohammed Shami is nearing his return to the national team. Reports indicate that Shami has begun bowling in the nets as he works towards regaining full fitness.
The right-arm pacer is in the mix for the Duleep Trophy, which could serve as a platform for him to prove his readiness for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. Shami is a pivotal figure in India’s pace attack, particularly in Test matches, and will be instrumental in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year. His impressive record in Australia highlights his ability as a key wicket-taker in the longest format.
Shami’s most recent international appearance was in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in 2023, where India faced a narrow defeat. Following that match, he underwent surgery, which also ruled him out of this year’s IPL and the T20 World Cup 2024.
