3 things to watch out for in Round 2 of Duleep Trophy 2024 ft. Rinku Singh's return
The first round of the 2024 Duleep Trophy saw India B and India C register victories in their respective matches. India B beat India A by 76 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, while India C beat India D by four wickets at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur.
The second round matches of the 2024 Duleep Trophy will be held in Anantapur from September 12 to September 15. India A will take on India D, while India B will be up against India C. Both India A and India D will be keen to get on the points table after having lost their opening encounters in the competition.
Barring India C, who are unchanged for the second round, there have been some crucial changes to personnel in the other three sides. On that note, let's take a look at three things to watch out for in round two of the 2024 Duleep Trophy.
#1 How Rinku Singh performs for India B
Rinku Singh has been named in the India B squad for the second round of the 2024 Duleep Trophy. He comes in as a replacement for Rishabh Pant, who will feature in the first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai starting September 19.
The left-handed batter from Uttar Pradesh has been tagged as a finisher in the T20 format. Even though he missed out on the T20 World Cup, he has done an impressive job for India in the limited opportunities that he has had. In 23 T20Is, Rinku has 418 runs to his name at an average of 59.71 and an excellent strike rate of 174.16, with two half-centuries, which includes a best of 69*.
While he might not be viewed as a red-ball prospect by Indian selectors as of now, the fact is that the 26-year-old has a highly impressive record in first-class cricket. In 47 matches, the southpaw has scored 3173 runs at an average of 54.70, with seven hundreds and 20 half-centuries. Rinku has a best score of 163* in his first-class career.
If the talented left-hander gets a chance to feature in the second round of the 2024 Duleep Trophy, he will be keen to make a big statement. With a lot of Test cricket coming up for India, Rinku would like to put his name in contention with some good performances with the willow in red-ball cricket.
#2 Can Shreyas Iyer produce a big knock?
Shreyas Iyer made a famous Test debut against New Zealand in Kanpur in November 2021, scoring a hundred and a fifty. However, things have not quite gone according to plan for him following the tremendous start.
The 29-year-old has not scored a Test half-century since December 2022. Since the start of 2023, he has played seven Test matches and has scored only 187 runs at a poor average of 17, with a best of 35. The right-handed batter was dropped from the Test team after the second match against England in Visakhapatnam in February this year.
Leading India D against India C in the first round of the 2024 Duleep Trophy, Shreyas was dismissed for nine in the first innings, caught behind off Vijaykumar Vyshak. He came up with a better knock in the second essay, scoring 54 off 44. However, the right-hander will need to produce big knocks in the Duleep Trophy to stay in contention for a Test comeback.
#3 Can Mayank Agarwal-led India A make a strong comeback?
India A had one of the strongest sides on paper in round one of the 2024 Duleep Trophy. Led by Shubman Gill, the likes of Riyan Parag, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep and Avesh Khan were part of the playing XI. Due to the plethora of options, a talented batter like Tilak Varma had to warm the benches.
Despite the impressive line-up of stars, India A failed to deliver in the first round and went down to India B by 76 runs. The side will be without the services of Gill, Rahul, Jurel, Kuldeep and Akash Deep for round two of the 2024 Duleep Trophy. Mayank Agarwal has been named captain in Gill's absence.
Even without some big names, India A remain a strong side on paper. Apart from skipper Agarwal, they will expect the likes of Riyan, Varma, Dube and Tanush Kotian, among others, to stand up and deliver. They have the potential, but can they translate it into performance in round two? That's the big question.