The Indian domestic season is set to commence with the Duleep Trophy, signaling the beginning of a captivating next few months. This prestigious event offers both seasoned players and emerging talents an opportunity to showcase their skills in red-ball cricket.
In the quarterfinals, Central Zone will clash with East Zone at Alur, while North Zone aims to conquer North East Zone at the the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The victorious teams will then face off against West Zone and South Zone, who secured direct entry into the last-four stage as the reigning champions and finalists from the previous season, respectively. This showdown will take place early next month.
While the immediate objective for the teams is to progress deep into the knockout stages, the selectors will closely monitor the performance of promising new talents over the next two weeks. This period coincides with India's transition phase, as they prepare for a new WTC cycle starting next month with the tour of the West Indies.
The Duleep Trophy serves as an ideal platform to identify potential additions to the player roster.
Although Rinku Singh may not be a new face due to his exploits in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders, his abilities in red-ball cricket still carry an air of novelty. Nevertheless, his record in the longer format is truly remarkable.
Representing the Central Zone, Rinku accumulated 442 runs from 7 Ranji Trophy matches last season, boasting an average of over 62. His overall first-class record is also among the finest of the current era, with 2875 runs from 40 matches at an average of 59.89, including 7 centuries and 19 fifties.
Should Rinku replicate such performances in this tournament, India may find themselves with an exciting new option for the future.
Another player to keep an eye on is Abhimanyu Easwaran, the captain of the East Zone. Among the contenders in the batting department, the 27-year-old Bengal batter is one of the more experienced campaigners. With 6556 runs from 87 first-class matches, Easwaran consistently performs in domestic cricket as well as for India A.
Having made his debut in 2013, he will be looking to make a strong case for a spot in the Indian Test team by delivering impactful performances in this tournament.
The competition for a place in the Indian bowling lineup is also fierce, with several players vying for selection. One prominent name is Mukesh Kumar, a 29-year-old pace bowler who has already earned his spot in the national team.
Mukesh's reputation as a reliable domestic performer is backed by impressive statistics. In the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season, he claimed 22 wickets from 5 matches while forming a formidable trio with Akash Deep and Ishan Porel for Bengal.
Additionally, Mukesh has consistently impressed in India A matches, taking 18 wickets at an impressive average of 17.5. He will be eager to fine-tune his skills before embarking on the Test and ODI tours of the West Indies.
The performance of Avesh Khan, right-arm pacer from Madhya Pradesh, will also be closely observed. In the previous season, Avesh captured 38 wickets from 8 Ranji Trophy matches.
Apart from the established contenders, this tournament also provides an opportunity for fringe players like Shivam Mavi (who will lead the Central Zone), Akash Deep and Ishan Porel to stake their claim for future selection.
Next month, the tournament will be graced by prominent names such as Cheteshwar Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, and Washington Sundar
Matches (June 28-July 1)
1. North Zone vs North East Zone, Chinnaswamy Stadium
2. Central Zone vs East Zone, Alur
Start time for both matches: 9:30 am
(With agency inputs)
