Picking a combined India ‘C’ and India ‘D’ 11 for 2024 Duleep Trophy ft. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer
India C triumphed over India D in their first match of the 2024 Duleep Trophy at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur. Asked to bat first, India D got off to a shaky start, collapsing to 34/5 in just 10.5 overs. Axar Patel played a vital innings, scoring 86 off 118 balls, and helped India D post a total of 164 runs.
In response, Harshit Rana was outstanding for India C, taking out both of India D’s openers. Baba Indrajith was the key performer for India C, scoring 72 off 149 balls, which gave his team a narrow four-run lead in the first innings.
In India D’s second innings, Shreyas Iyer led the way with a strong 54 off 44 balls. Devdutt Padikkal (56) and Ricky Bhui (44) also made significant contributions, setting a target of 233 runs. India C chased down the target with a collective effort, winning by four wickets, with Aryan Juyal (47) contributing the highest.
In this article, we will pick a combined India ‘C’ and India ‘D’ 11 for the 2024 Duleep Trophy.
Top order: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sai Sudharsan, and Shreyas Iyer
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan will open the batting in our combined playing XI, with Gaikwad also taking on the captaincy role. In the first innings, Gaikwad scored five runs, but he played a crucial knock of 46 off 48 balls, including eight fours in the second innings. Overall, the right-handed batter has featured in 29 first-class matches, accumulating 2,041 runs with six centuries.
Sai Sudharsan, fresh off a standout performance for Surrey in the County Championship where he scored his maiden century with 105 off 178 balls, has had a mixed start in the Duleep Trophy. He managed only seven and 22 runs in his first two innings. The 22-year-old will be eager to bounce back and showcase his form in the upcoming games.
Shreyas Iyer had a disappointing first innings for India D, managing only nine runs from 16 balls. However, he made a strong comeback in the second innings, scoring 54 runs off 44 balls, including nine fours and a six. The right-hander will be looking to build on this form in the next round of matches.
Middle order/all-rounders: Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Baba Indrajith (wk), Axar Patel, Manav Suthar
Devdutt Padikkal, who made his Test debut for India earlier this year against England, was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the Duleep Trophy match. However, the left-hander made a strong recovery in the second innings, scoring 56 runs off 70 balls with eight boundaries.
Another player who has shown promise in recent years is Rajat Patidar. The right-hander was dismissed by Axar Patel for 13 runs in the first innings but contributed significantly in the fourth innings with a crucial 44 runs off 77 balls. The 31-year-old has played 58 first-class matches, accumulating 4,063 runs and 12 centuries.
Tamil Nadu cricketer Baba Indrajith will serve as the keeper-batter. The right-hander delivered an impressive performance for India C in their first innings, scoring 72 runs off 149 balls with nine boundaries, which helped his team secure a four-run lead. However, his performance in the second innings was disappointing, as he could only manage seven runs.
Axar Patel showcased his all-round skills in the game. He came in to bat for India D in the first innings when they were at 34/5 after 11 overs. Axar played a brilliant knock, scoring 86 off 118 balls with six boundaries and as many sixes, helping India D reach 164 runs in their first innings.
The left-arm spinner also took two wickets, dismissing Aryan Juyal and Rajat Patidar. In the second innings, Axar scored 28 runs and took one more wicket.
Manav Suthar delivered an outstanding performance with the ball for India C. The 22-year-old claimed eight wickets in the match, including a remarkable seven-wicket haul in the second innings while conceding only 49 runs.
The left-arm spinner will aim to maintain this impressive form in the upcoming games. He also remained unbeaten on 19 runs in the fourth innings to help India C secure victory.
Bowlers: Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Vijaykumar Vyshak
Delhi pacer Harshit Rana was exceptional for India D in the first innings, claiming four wickets, including the crucial dismissals of India C openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan. While he went wicketless in the second innings, he made a significant contribution with a superb catch to dismiss Aryan Juyal.
The 2024 T20 World Cup-winning pacer, Arshdeep Singh, took two wickets in the game. The Punjab bowler will be aiming to increase his wicket tally in the next round of matches.
The final player in our playing XI is Vijaykumar Vyshak. The right-arm pacer was exceptional for India C in the first innings, claiming three wickets while conceding just 19 runs in 12 overs. He added two more wickets in the game, finishing with a total of five wickets for the match.