India’s pacer Mohammed Siraj has been ruled out from the upcoming Duleep Trophy due to illness, just over 20 days before the start of the two-Test series against Bangladesh. Additionally, fellow pacer Umran Malik, who was eagerly anticipated to return to professional cricket, has also withdrawn from the tournament because of sickness. Siraj’s spot in the India B team has been filled by Navdeep Saini, while Gaurav Yadav, a medium-pacer from Madhya Pradesh, has stepped in for Umran Malik in the India C team.
Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was initially part of the India B squad, has also been released. However, no replacement has been announced for him. Jadeja was scheduled to participate in only one match of the Duleep Trophy before departing to join the India camp ahead of the Bangladesh Test series.
According to a statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Nitish Kumar Reddy’s availability remains uncertain, as he is currently recovering from sports hernia surgery. His participation will be contingent upon his fitness levels.
The Duleep Trophy’s first round is set to be played in Anantapur and Bengaluru, starting on September 5. The opening match will feature a clash between India A and India B. Notably, the Duleep Trophy, which was previously a zonal competition, has been streamlined to four teams this season. With the second round of the Duleep Trophy overlapping with the home Test series against Bangladesh, beginning September 19, any players selected for the Test squad will be replaced in the Duleep Trophy.
Shubman Gill has been named the captain of India A, while Shreyas Iyer will lead India D.
The India B squad comprises Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Musheer Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Yash Dayal, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Awasthi, and N Jagadeesan (wicketkeeper).
The India C team includes Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Abishek Porel (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, B Indrajith, Hrithik Shokeen, Manav Suthar, Gaurav Yadav, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Anshul Khamboj, Himanshu Chauhan, Mayank Markande, Aryan Juyal (wicketkeeper), and Sandeep Warrier.