Mayank Agarwal to lead India A following Shubman Gill's call-up for Test series against BangladeshÂ
Senior opening batter Mayank Agarwal has been named as India A captain for the remainder of the 2024 Duleep Trophy. He will be taking over the leadership duties from Shubman Gill, who has been named in the Team India squad for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.
Gill did not have a memorable outing as captain or batter as India A lost in the first round against India B by 76 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The opening batter had recorded a couple of starts but failed to convert those for the team's cause. He scored 25 and 21 runs in the first and the second innings respectively.
Agarwal, on the other hand, recorded scores of 36 and 3 in the recently concluded clash. The opening batter has extensive leadership experience, leading Karnataka for a while now, including in the 2024 Ranji Trophy earlier this year.
India A are next scheduled to face India D in Anantapur in a crucial clash, beginning from September 12 onwards.
Updated India A squad for 2024 Duleep Trophy
Mayank Agarwal (c), Riyan Parag, Akshay Narang, SK Rasheed, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Thanush Kotian, Shams Mulani, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahamed, Avesh Khan.
"I haven't reached my expectations yet" - Shubman Gill ahead of the Bangladesh series
Shubman Gill saw a change in his role in the red-ball setup after being pushed down to No. 3 to accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal in the playing XI. The right-handed batter struggled in the newfound position during the tours of West Indies and South Africa but managed to be among the runs in the home series against England earlier this year.
"Yes, definitely, I haven't reached my expectations yet. But we have ten Test matches ahead of us back-to-back. So hopefully after these ten Test matches, I will be able to meet my expectations," Gill told ESPN Cricinfo.
India's two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which kickstarts the home season, will begin on September 19. The series opener is slated to take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.