Duleep Trophy: A look at the players shockingly snubbed from the domestic series

The BCCI recently announced a 61-member squad for the upcoming red-ball domestic tournament, the Duleep Trophy. The Test series has brought major players back into the domestic setup following stern directions from the board. BCCI secretary Jay Shah, along with Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, has made it clear that the selection for the Indian team will be based on domestic performances. As a result, players like Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant will mark a return to the longest format of the game through the Duleep Trophy. While promoted as a significant tournament requiring players to participate, the squad selection for the Duleep Trophy seems to have overlooked some notable names in the Indian setup.

Major names overlooked for Duleep Trophy selection

Only a handful of players have been exempted from participating in the Duleep Trophy, with the rest of the players directed to take the field for the domestic tournament. Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are rested, while the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and R. Ashwin are missing to avoid any injury concerns. Moreover, Mohammed Shami is still recovering from his Achilles surgery.

However, apart from the obvious absentees, the Duleep Trophy squad has surprisingly excluded many prominent players. The upcoming tournament will play an instrumental role in team selection for the action-packed Test season for India. While the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia lies ahead, performances in the Duleep Trophy will directly affect the board’s final decision on the squad for the home series against Bangladesh, scheduled for September. As India gears up for the red-ball season, here’s a look at the major players who failed to earn a spot in the Duleep Trophy squad.

Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh has proven himself as a worthy performer for India as the designated finisher in the shortest format of the game. However, his limited-overs exploits have failed to put Singh in contention for the team’s red-ball selection. The batter, famous for his blazing IPL outings, displays a decent batting record in domestic cricket. The left-handed Uttar Pradesh batter has scored 3,173 runs at an average of over 50 in 47 first-class matches, including 7 centuries. However, Singh didn’t play many matches in the Ranji Trophy last season. In his last red-ball outing for UP, Rinku scored 26 runs off 33 balls in a drawn match against Andhra.

Despite his impressive batting records, the selectors don’t seem keen on trying Rinku in the Test setting. The batter, moreover, opened up about the Duleep Trophy snub, taking it in stride. Singh noted that his recent performances in first-class cricket might have pushed him out of the selectors’ contention for the domestic tournament.

“I didn't perform that well (in the domestic season). I didn't play many matches in the Ranji Trophy... I played 2-3 matches. I wasn't selected because I didn't play that well. I might get selected for next-round matches," Rinku told Sportstak, talking about his Duleep Trophy snub.

Karun Nair

Karun Nair has become a forgotten name time and again, but it’s not due to his own shortcomings. The Karnataka batter is one of only two Indian players to have scored a triple century in international cricket. However, even a triple century couldn’t cement his position in the Indian Test team. The 32-year-old has now been snubbed for the Duleep Trophy squad as well. Despite consistent setbacks, Karun Nair has tried his best to earn playing opportunities. As Karnataka overlooked Nair for the first-class tournament, the batter shifted base to Vidarbha to ensure that he continues to play and remain in contention for future selection.

Playing for Vidarbha, Nair scored 690 runs in the last Ranji season, leading the team to the series finals. Moreover, currently playing in the Maharaja Trophy, Nair has consistently put up a blazing batting display for two seasons of the T20 league. While Nair failed to secure a spot in the Duleep Trophy squad, he remains hopeful for a red-ball return.

"I feel like I'm batting as well as I've ever done. I am in a good headspace; I know where my game is. I am just making sure if I get opportunities, wherever it may be, the focus is on making the most of those chances so that I can climb up the stairs again. It's still exciting to wake up each morning and dream of finding a way back to play Test cricket. That keeps me going. I would love to win trophies; we missed out in the Ranji last year. I will try to correct it this year,” Nair was quoted as saying after the squad announcement for the Duleep Trophy.

Rinku Singh said "I didn't perform that well in domestic, I didn't play many matches in Ranji, played 2-3 games - I wasn't selected because I didn't perform that well - might get selected for next round games". [Sports Tak - talking about the reason not in Duleep Trophy] pic.twitter.com/7LEmsmKaOS

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 19, 2024