The BCCI has announced squad changes for the Duleep Trophy’s first round. Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik are sidelined, and Ravindra Jadeja has been released from the Team B squad.
The Duleep Trophy 2024-25 begins on September 5, 2024, with matches set to take place in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and Bengaluru.
Centrally contracted players will participate in the first round, with the exceptions of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
This year, the Duleep Trophy will feature four teams instead of the usual six. The second round will coincide with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, so Test players will be replaced in the Duleep Trophy squad.
Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik Ruled Out of First Round of Duleep Trophy
On Tuesday, August 27, the BCCI revealed that Navdeep Saini will take Mohammed Siraj’s place in the ‘India B’ squad. Gaurav Yadav will replace Umran Malik in the ‘India C’ squad. Both Siraj and Malik are currently ill.
Ravindra Jadeja has been withdrawn from the Duleep Trophy squad, though the BCCI did not specify why. Siraj and Malik will miss the first round of the tournament. Siraj was set to play for Team B, captained by Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Umran Malik, having recovered from dengue, remains unfit for competitive play and will be replaced by Gaurav Yadav, a pacer from Madhya Pradesh, in Team C, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad. No replacement has been announced for Ravindra Jadeja at this time.
“The Men’s Selection Committee announced a couple of replacements in the squads for the first round of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy,” the statement read.
“Pacer Navdeep Saini will replace Mohd. Siraj in the Team B squad while Gaurav Yadav will replace Umran Malik in the Team C squad. Both Siraj and Malik are suffering from an illness and are not expected to be fit in time for their Duleep Trophy fixtures.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has also been released from the Team B squad.”
Gaurav Yadav Finished as Second Highest Wicket-Taker in Ranji Trophy Last Season
Gaurav Yadav gained attention for his impressive performance in the Ranji Trophy. He took 41 wickets in seven games with an average of 14.58, including five five-wicket hauls. Overall, the 32-year-old has played 37 first-class matches and taken 141 wickets since his debut in 2012.
Young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s participation in the Duleep Trophy will depend on his fitness, according to the BCCI statement. The first round of the tournament is scheduled to take place simultaneously in Anantapur and Bengaluru, starting on Thursday, September 5.
