The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) confirmed that the opening match of the Duleep Trophy 2024 has been shifted to Chinnaswamy Stadium while it was originally scheduled to be played at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the KSCA about the shift last week and KSCA president Raghuram Bhat confirmed the same.
“Yes, Chinnaswamy will be hosting the opening round. Just that game. We were told by the BCCI about the decision last week and we are ready to host the fixture, always ready to host cricket. There is still time for the match and the venue will be ready,” KSCA president Raghuram Bhat said.
The expectation for this year’s Duleep Trophy hits its peak never before right after a report states that many Indian star batters including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to feature in this edition.
Apart from Rohit and Virat many Indian international players like KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to take part, either partially or fully.
Interestingly, selectors are anticipated to include wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan in one of the four squads who lost his central contract after skipping domestic tournaments.
As per the report, Rohit and Virat have been given the option to choose whether or not to participate. Rohit last participated in a domestic game in 2021, while Kohli has not featured in a national-level match since 2015.
Allrounder Hardik Pandya who has stopped playing red-ball cricket is one of the notable absentees from the list.
The men’s senior selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar will be responsible for picking the four squads from this edition, unlike the previous edition where zonal selectors picked different squads.
“I haven’t discussed with Gautam yet. It’s not always easy. But there will certainly be enough players out of that squad that are likely to play the first (Duleep Trophy) game at least. That’s the only game they can really play. We’ll sit down and discuss which guys really need to play.
“It’s nice for the competition if all your top players come and play. It is not easy with such a packed and long season, it’s tough for the players if they have a week off somewhere to make them play. There will be some in the squad who will play,” Ajit Agarkar had said.
The four-team Duleep Trophy is a multi-day first-class competition that will be conducted in a league format. The tournament will kick start on September 5 and conclude on September 22.
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