5 batters unlucky to miss out on 2024 Duleep Trophy squads ft. Rinku Singh
The Duleep Trophy's 17th edition is scheduled to start on September 5 and end on September 22. It will mark the commencement of the 2024–25 domestic season. There won’t be any knockout matches, as the tournament will be played in a round-robin format. The team that finishes with the most points after the round-robin stage will be crowned the winner.
On Thursday, August 14, the BCCI announced the squads for the competition, with opener Shubman Gill leading Team A and Abhimanyu Easwaran in charge of Team B. Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead Team C, and Shreyas Iyer will captain Team D.
The Duleep Trophy will provide an opportunity for players to showcase their skills and make a strong case for themselves for the upcoming international series. The tournament will mark the return of Rishabh Pant to red-ball cricket for the first time since his life-threatening accident.
Other notable players competing in the tournament include Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, and KL Rahul.
Meanwhile, this article will look at five batters who were unlucky to miss out on the 2024 Duleep Trophy squads.
#5 Pradosh Ranjan Paul
Pradosh Ranjan Paul, the 23-year-old Tamil Nadu batter, is a promising prospect in Indian cricket. He made his first-class debut in 2019 in a game against Delhi. The left-handed batter was the highest scorer for Tamil Nadu in the 2022–23 Ranji Trophy season, amassing 631 runs in nine innings.
In December 2023, during his India A debut against South Africa A, Pradosh scored 163 off 209 balls, hitting 23 boundaries and one six. Pradosh was recently seen in action during the Tamil Nadu Premier League.
Overall, the Tamil Nadu player boasts an impressive record in first-class cricket. In 19 games, he has scored 1,434 runs at an average of 57.36, including five centuries. Considering his numbers, it is reasonable to conclude that he was unfortunate not to be selected for the Duleep Trophy squads.
#4 Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari’s controversy with the Andhra Pradesh team made headlines recently. The argument erupted after it was reported that Vihari yelled at a player who was also the son of a politician.
Soon, the right-handed batter accused the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) of political interference and hurting his sentiments during the 2023–24 Ranji Trophy season, vowing never to play for them again. He also stepped down from his role as captain mid-season.
However, in June 2024, he reversed his decision and announced that he would continue to play for Andhra Pradesh after meeting with the state’s new ruling party, the Telugu Desam Party.
Vihari’s last appearance for India came in 2022 against England. He has represented the nation in 16 Tests, scoring 839 runs, including one century.
The middle-order batter also has an impressive first-class record, having scored 9,325 runs in 124 games at an average of 51.80. The 30-year-old will now be hoping to put up a strong performance in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season to make his India comeback.
#3 Abhishek Sharma
One notable absentee from the 2024 Duleep Trophy squad was the young Indian batter, Abhishek Sharma. The 23-year-old had a breakthrough IPL season with the SunRisers Hyderabad, scoring 484 runs in 16 matches with a strike rate of 204.22.
The Punjab cricketer's impressive record earned him his maiden India call-up for the Zimbabwe series, where he scored a century in the second game.
Overall, he has played in 24 first-class games, scoring 1,071 runs at an average of 30.60. Abhishek will be hoping for a strong Ranji Trophy season to make his way into the red-ball team.
#2 Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson has often found himself in and out of the Indian team. Most recently, he was seen in action during the T20I series against Sri Lanka. He played two games in the series but failed to make any contributions.
His exclusion from the Duleep Trophy suggests that selectors are not currently considering him for the red-ball format. Rishabh Pant was excellent for India before his unfortunate accident, and in his absence Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel performed decently.
Meanwhile, the Kerala cricketer has played 62 first-class games, amassing 3,623 runs at an average of 38.54.
#1 Rinku Singh
Another notable omission from the squads was Rinku Singh. The left-handed batter was part of the Indian T20I team against Sri Lanka but had a disappointing series, scoring only two runs in two innings.
Rinku’s exclusion was surprising given his impressive record in first-class cricket. In 47 games, the Uttar Pradesh cricketer has scored 3,173 runs at an average of 54.70, including seven centuries.
The left-handed batter has been a valuable asset for every team he plays for. Rinku will be looking to perform strongly in the upcoming Ranji season to make his case for red-ball cricket.