Duleep Trophy 2016: 5 players from the tournament who could make the Indian Test team
With a long season of cricket at home for India, Duleep Trophy 2016 is likely to be a very good barometer for selection ahead of the series against New Zealand in September.
While the Indian Test side is fairly settled, there are still areas that can be improved and that should give everyone playing in the Duleep Trophy a huge boost in their bid to make it to the Indian Test side.
Here are 5 players who could make it to the Indian squad with a good performance in the Duleep Trophy:
Baba Aparajith
Having scored a century in his side's opening game of the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League, Baba Aparajith goes into the Duleep Trophy in amazing form. While the 22-year-old didn't set the stage on fire in the Ranji Trophy last year, he has been consistent in the longest format of the game ever since he made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in 2011.
Closing in on 50 first-class matches, the youngster certainly has the experience, unlike a few other players on this list but an average of just under 40 might not seem worthy of a place in the Indian Test side. But the fact that he plays his home games at Chepauk, arguably India's answer to a spinner's paradise shouldn't be forgotten.
The biggest advantage with Baba Aparajith aside from the fact that he can turn his arm over and bowl some decent off-spin is his versatility. Capable of playing anywhere in the top-order whether it is opening the innings or batting at No.3 or No.4, his arrival could certainly solve the balance issues at the top of the side.