Kohli to Pant: Indian stars likely to compete in Duleep Trophy 2024

Regular test players of India will be taking part in the 17th edition of Duleep Trophy as per BCCI's orders

The 2024 season of the Duleep Trophy is set to commence on September 5 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, featuring marquee international players. Following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), many senior players are expected to participate in the Duleep Trophy 2024.

According to media reports, key players like KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, along with other regular Test players, are likely to be included in the four competing teams.

Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Participate in Duleep Trophy 2024?

According to a PTI report, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant may opt to play in this season's first domestic cricket tournament. However, Rohit and Virat have the option to skip the Duleep Trophy. If they choose to participate, it will mark Rohit’s first domestic appearance since 2021 and Virat’s first since 2015.

Considering his workload management, the BCCI is currently deliberating on Rishabh Pant's participation.

BCCI’s Emphasis on Domestic Tournaments

In response to questions raised in 2023 about international players skipping domestic tournaments, the BCCI has mandated that every Indian cricketer involved in international cricket must participate in domestic tournaments unless they are on national duty. To enforce the directive, the BCCI has instructed India’s regular Test players to be available for the Duleep Trophy event.

Confirmed participants for the tournament include KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, and Kuldeep Yadav, who will be involved partially or fully. Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin are the notable absentees, as they will join the team directly before the start of the Bangladesh series. Out-of-favour wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is also likely to feature in the tournament.

New Rules and Shift in Venue

Initially, all six matches of the 2024 Duleep Trophy were scheduled to be held in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. However, the BCCI has shifted the venue of the first match to Bengaluru to provide players with match practice on the Chinnaswamy wicket before their first Test against Bangladesh at the same venue. This change also helps the BCCI reduce travel costs and minimise player fatigue.

For the 2024 season, the Duleep Trophy teams will be divided into teams A, B, C, and D, replacing the traditional zonal team format.

With inputs from PTI