As the second round of the Duleep Trophy 2024 kicks off, two exciting matches are on the horizon: India B vs. India C, and India A vs. India D. Both India B and India C enter this stage confidently, having won their opening encounters. India C, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will stick with their successful lineup, while India B bolsters its squad with the addition of Rinku Singh, joining the talented Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan.
According to PTI, several key players have been rested for the second round, starting on September 12, as they prepare for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. Notable names like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Dhruv Jurel are among those given a break.
With Shubman Gill on national duty, Mayank Agarwal steps up as captain for India A. Prasidh Krishna also returns to the India A squad, with selectors closely monitoring his performance as a potential pace option for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
In the India B vs. India C clash, India B captain Abhimanyu Easwaran won the toss and opted to field. India C’s skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, suffered an unfortunate injury early in the match. After hitting the first ball for four off India B’s Mukesh Kumar, Gaikwad was forced to retire hurt following the next delivery, reportedly twisting his ankle while attempting a run. Rajat Patidar from Madhya Pradesh replaced him, coming in at No. 3 to join Sai Sudharsan at the crease.
Gaikwad had been in fine form during the previous round in Anantapur, where his side secured a thrilling win over India D. Chasing 236, Gaikwad led from the front with a brisk 46 off 48 balls. However, a late collapse put India C in a tough spot before Manav Suthar and Abishek Porel guided them home.
Gaikwad’s red-ball journey has been inconsistent in recent months. Named in India’s Test squad for the South Africa tour last December, he was later ruled out due to a finger injury. The 27-year-old, who made his First-Class debut for Maharashtra in 2016, has accumulated over 2,000 runs, averaging above 42 with six centuries and 10 half-centuries. Despite his solid domestic record, Gaikwad has yet to cement his place in the Test team.
India B vs. India C Squads:
- India B squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Awasthi, N Jagadeesan (WK), Suyash Prabhudessai, Rinku Singh, Himanshu Mantri (WK).
- India C squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Abishek Porel (WK), B Indrajith, Hrithik Shokeen, Manav Suthar, Gaurav Yadav, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Anshul Khamboj, Himanshu Chauhan, Mayank Markande, Aryan Juyal (WK), Sandeep Warrier.
