Duleep Trophy opener set to be moved to Bengaluru

Duleep Trophy opening round moved from Anantapur to Bengaluru to optimize international players' participation in domestic cricket.

One of the two opening round fixtures of the Duleep Trophy – the domestic season-opening tournament in the men’s calendar – is set to be shifted from Anantapur to Bengaluru with an eye on optimising the international regulars’ participation in a domestic match.

The Duleep Trophy has been tweaked this season from its conventional inter-zonal format into a four-team tournament, with the sides picked by the senior national selection committee.

According to the fixtures made public by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the tournament will be played at two venues in a league format from September 5 to 22.

With the Indian team having a six-week break from the international calendar, the Ajit Agarkar-chaired panel wants the majority of Test regulars to participate in the Duleep Trophy opening round. From then on, the players will join the preparatory camp ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh, starting September 19.

Considering the logistical challenges involved in travelling to Anantapur, the selectors had sought the BCCI to explore the possibility of moving the first round to Bengaluru. The BCCI management, in consultation with the Andhra Cricket Association and the Karnataka State Cricket Association, has thus decided to move one of the two first-round games to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

Despite the international stars having a prolonged break, not all the veterans are likely to feature in the Duleep Trophy. The Hindu understands that the selectors have given Jasprit Bumrah and R. Ashwin an extended break while Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma have been given an option to decide for themselves. The duo will inform their decision to the national selection committee before its meeting to finalise the four squads.

Rishabh Pant is set to feature in his maiden First Class game for nearly two years while Suryakumar Yadav, the T20 captain, is hopeful of making a case for a Test return. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer – stripped of a national retainer due to their lack of will to play domestic cricket last season – are set to be included.