After a disappointing ODI series against Sri Lanka, the Indian men’s cricket team gears up for a grueling Test schedule, also the start of Gautam Gambhir‘s stint as head coach in red-ball cricket. Gambhir has profoundly expressed the importance of domestic red-ball cricket and he is keen to implement the same for Indian national team players ahead of the start of the Test season. A report has claimed that Gambhir is keen to see the likes of Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, as well as seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli participate in the Duleep Trophy.

A report in Indian Express suggested that India’s star players like Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Surykumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav have all been asked to play in the Duleep Trophy. The only man who has been given an exception is ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah. He has been given a long break from cricketing assignments, as part of workload management.

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) picks the Duleep Trophy squads, the report has stated that Kohli and Rohit are also set to be named in the roster. Ishan Kishan is also likely to be picked for the Duleep Trophy. But, veteran stars like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are unlikely to get the nod.

India’s next Test assignment against Bangladesh starts September 19. The Duleep Trophy campaign is to begin on September 05. The selectors are reportedly undecided on the inclusion of Bumrah to India’s Test squad for the first two matches against Bangladesh too as India are scheduled to play 10 Test matches in the next 4 months, with 5 of them to be against Australia.

The selectors could decide to give Bumrah a rest but Mohammed Shami is expected to find a spot in the team, having been out of action since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup last year. Duleep Trophy format:

The Ajit Agarkar‘s panel is to pick the four squads – India A, India B, India C and India D – for the tournament. The old zonal format has been done away with. The matches will be played in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The BCCI is also reportedly planning to keep one round at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Duleep Trophy schedule, however, will also have some overlap with the Bangladesh series, as the domestic tournament is scheduled to conclude on September 24. India’s first Test against Bangladesh begins on September 19.

The board is also planning a short camp before the start of the Test series in Chennai.