India’s Cricket Team Adjustments Ahead of Test Series Against Bangladesh
In a strategic move, several key players from the Indian cricket team, including Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, have been given a break from participating in the second round of the Duleep Trophy. This tournament is set to commence in Anantapur on September 12. The decision comes as these athletes prepare for their upcoming Test match against Bangladesh.
Exemptions Granted to Key Players
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that other notable players selected for the national squad—such as Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Akash Deep—will also be exempted from this round of matches. However, Sarfaraz Khan and left-arm pacer Yash Dayal remain committed to their Duleep Trophy obligations despite being part of India’s 16-man roster for the first Test.
Replacement Selections Announced
In light of these changes, BCCI has announced several replacements: Pratham Singh from Railways will step in for Gill; Akshay Wadkar from Vidarbha CA will take over KL Rahul’s position; and SK Rasheed from Andhra CA will replace Jurel. Additionally, Shams Mulani is set to fill Kuldeep’s spot while Aaqib Khan (UPCA) replaces Akash Deep due to injury concerns affecting Tushar Deshpande.
Mayank Agarwal has been appointed as captain for India A following Gill’s absence. The selectors have also brought Suyash Prabhudessai and Rinku Singh into the fold as substitutes for Jaiswal and Pant respectively. Nishant Sandhu will now represent Axar Patel on India D’s team.
Performance Insights From Previous Matches
During the opening match of the Duleep Trophy season earlier this month, both Rishabh Pant—who hasn’t participated in red-ball cricket since December 2022—and KL Rahul showcased commendable performances alongside Akash Deep. Their contributions were pivotal during that initial encounter.
Current Squad Updates
The updated rosters reflect these adjustments:
- India A Squad: Mayank Agarwal (C), Riyan Parag, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Tanush Kotian,
Prasidh Krishna,
Khaleel Ahmed,
Avesh Khan,
Kumar Kushagra,
Shaswat Rawat,
Pratham Singh,
Akshay Wadkar,
SK Rasheed,
Shams Mulani,
Aaqib Khan
- 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 D Squad: Shreyas Iyer (C),
Atharva Taide
Yash Dubey
Devdutt Padikkal
Ricky Bhui
Saransh Jain
Arshdeep Singh
Aditya Thakare
Harshit Rana
Akash Sengupta
KS Bharat (WK)
Saurabh Kumar
Sanju Samson (WK)
Nishant Sindhu
Vidwath Kaverappa
As preparations continue ahead of this significant series against Bangladesh in Chennai later this month, fans are eager to see how these changes impact India’s performance on the field.
