"I see them as well-rested India players" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Kohli, Rohit, and Bumrah missing 2024 Duleep Trophy

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels star players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah could have been picked for the 2024 Duleep Trophy. The tournament, scheduled to commence on September 5, will mark the beginning of the 2024 domestic season in the country.

While most of the Test probables have been named in either of the four squads for the Duleep Trophy, the selectors have decided to rest Kohli, Bumrah, and Rohit, citing the long red-ball season ahead.

However, Manjrekar reckons that the three players are already well-rested and could have played the Duleep Trophy to prepare for the red-ball season ahead. India will begin their home season with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh from September 19 onwards in Chennai.

"India has played 249 international matches in the last 5 years. Rohit has played only 59% of those. Virat 61 % & Bumrah 34%. I see them as well-rested India players. Could have been selected for the Duleep trophy," Sanjay Manjrekar wrote on X.

Rohit and Kohli last played in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which India lost 0-2. Bumrah, on the other hand, was last seen in action during the title-winning 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.

---

Ravindra Jadeja withdrawn from Duleep Trophy squads

Senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been withdrawn from the upcoming Duleep Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday, August 27. He was part of the India B squad which will be led by Bengal cricketer Abhimanyu Easwaran.

The BCCI statement didn't clarify the reason for the withdrawal. No replacement has been named either.

Pacers Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik have been ruled out of the first round of the Duleep Trophy due to illness. Navdeep Saini will replace Siraj in the India B squad, while Gaurav Yadav has come in for Malik in the India C squad.

​