5 top all-rounders to watch out for in 2024 Duleep Trophy's first games ft. Axar Patel
The 2024 edition of the Duleep Trophy will be played from September 5 to September 22. The Indian domestic tournament will be contested by four sides - Team A, Team B, Team C, and Team D. The competition will be played in a round-robin format. There will be no knockouts and the team with the most points after the conclusion of the round-robin stage will be declared winners.
On Wednesday, August 14, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the four squads for the first round of Duleep Trophy 2024. Shubman Gill was named captain of Team A, Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead Team B, Ruturaj Gaikwad will captain Team C, and Shreyas Iyer will be the Team D skipper.
The first round of Duleep Trophy 2024 will be played from September 5 to September 8. Team A will take on Team B in the first match at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur, while Team C will be up against Team D in match number two at the ACA ADCA Ground in Anantapur.
Several versatile players will be on show in round one of Duleep Trophy 2024. On that note, here's a look at five top all-rounders to watch out for in the opening round of the tournament.
#1 Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar will turn out for Team B, led by Easwaran, in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024. Sundar has been in and out of the Indian team over the last few seasons due to injury and form issues. He was, however, among the few bright spots for the Men in Blue from the disastrous ODI series in Sri Lanka.
The 24-year-old Tamil Nadu cricketer has played 27 first-class matches and has claimed 56 scalps at an average of 30.76, with three five-fers and one ten-wicket match haul. With the bat, he has scored 1132 runs, averaging 31.44, with one hundred and seven half-centuries.
#2 Axar Patel
Axar Patel will represent Shreyas-led Team D in the 2024 Duleep Trophy. He was one of the heroes of India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, making crucial contributions with bat, ball, and in the field as well. The 30-year-old has shown drastic improvement in his all-round game over the last couple of seasons.
If we look at his first-class career, Axar has played 55 matches and has claimed 192 wickets at an average of 25.09, with 11 five-fers and two ten-wicket match hauls. With the bat, the southpaw has 2361 runs to his name at an average of 35.77, with one hundred and 18 half-centuries.
#3 Ravindra Jadeja
One of India's finest all-rounders ever, Ravindra Jadeja will represent Team B in Duleep Trophy 2024. The Saurashtra cricketer was part of the Indian team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup trophy. However, he had an underwhelming campaign and retired from T20Is after the tournament. Jadeja was also rested for the ODI series in Sri Lanka.
The 35-year-old has played 127 first-class matches and has scored 7132 runs at an average of 45.13, with 13 hundreds and 37 fifties. He has notched up three triple hundreds. With his left-arm spin, Jadeja has claimed 513 wickets at an average of 23.86, with 32 five-fers and eight 10-wicket match hauls.
#4 Saurabh Kumar
The versatile Saurabh Kumar will be representing Team D in Duleep Trophy 2024. While the Uttar Pradesh cricketer is yet to make his international debut, he has a stellar record in first-class cricket. He has been part of national squads in the past but is still waiting for the India cap.
Saurabh has featured in 70 first-class matches and has scored 2116 runs at an average of 27.12, with two hundreds and 13 half-centuries. With his canny left-arm spin, the 31-year-old has claimed 304 wickets at an average of 24.43, with 24 five-fers and eight 10-wicket match hauls. Saurabh starred with 10 wickets as Rest of India beat Saurashtra by 175 runs in the 2023 Irani Cup.
#5 Riyan Parag
Riyan Parag, who had a decent tour of Sri Lanka, will turn out for Team A in the Duleep Trophy 2024. The youngster starred with 3-5 in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, making an impact with his spin bowling. While his batting was under par, the 22-year-old also claimed three wickets in the third ODI in Colombo.
Riyan has the experience of 29 first-class matches in which he has scored 1798 runs at an average of 36.69, with three hundreds and 11 fiftes. With the ball, the Assam cricketer has picked up 50 wickets, averaging 37.06, with one five-fer and five four-wicket hauls to his credit.