Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma likely to feature in Duleep Trophy ahead of Bangladesh Tests - Reports
Team India captain Rohit Sharma and ace batter Virat Kohli are likely to play the upcoming Duleep Trophy ahead of the home Test series against Bangladesh as per reports from the Indian Express. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCC) senior selection committee will pick the Duleep Trophy squads after their insistence on making all the players available for the prestigious domestic competition.
With the tournament commencing on September 5, it is also understood that other India regulars like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Suryakumar Yadav have been asked to participate in the Duleep Trophy.
Meanwhile, champion pacer Jasprit Bumrah will likely continue his rest period and not play in the tournament with the possibility of him being rested for the Bangladesh series on spin-friendly pitches at home.
Having done away with the Zonal setup, the Duleep Trophy will have four teams - India A, India B, India C and India D. The squads for each will be picked by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and his panel.
While the tournament was scheduled at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, the star players' participation could lead to one round being played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The first round of four-day games will happen on September 5 but Kohli and Rohit could either play that or the second round of matches, starting September 12.
India's two-Test home series against Bangladesh starts in Chennai on September 19.
Ishan Kishan likely to be picked for Duleep Trophy
![Ishan Kishan has not played for India across formats in 2024 [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/08/7f90f-17234384633737-1920.jpg?w=500)
Out-of-favor wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan is also likely to be picked for the upcoming Duleep Trophy as per the Indian Express reports. The 26-year-old last played for India at the end of last year before withdrawing from the South African tour citing mental fatigue.
This and his absence at the Ranji Trophy led to his dropping from the BCCI's annual contract list. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer, who suffered similar consequences of being left out of the contract list, will likely be included in one of the Duleep Trophy squads.
The right-handed batter recently played in India's 0-2 ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka.
As for the veteran Test batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, their comeback chances to the Indian squad suffered a blow, as it is highly likely the duo will not find a place in any of the Duleep Trophy squads.
Despite Rahane leading Mumbai to the Rajni Trophy title last season and Pujara being among the runs, the selectors have reportedly decided to move forward with the youngsters in their place.