Mumbai, Sept 5; Shreyas Iyer embarks on a crucial journey to reclaim his standing in red-ball cricket as he captains India D against India C in the opening match of the Duleep Trophy. The game, scheduled to start on Thursday at the Rural Trust Development Stadium, marks Iyer’s first major appearance in the format since February.India D’s lineup will be notably different as Ishan Kishan, initially expected to join Iyer, is sidelined due to an injury sustained during the Buchi Babu tournament. This leaves a gap in the squad’s batting strength for the opening round.
India C, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, also grapples with injuries. Suryakumar Yadav, who sustained a hand injury in the same tournament as Kishan, will be absent, as will Prasidh Krishna, Mohammad Siraj, and Umran Malik due to various injuries and illnesses. Ravindra Jadeja, initially included in India B, has been released from the squad for unspecified reasons.
Ruturaj Gaikwad will rely heavily on Tamil Naduās Baba Indrajith and Sai Sudharsan, who brings a County Championship century into the competition. Rajat Patidar, who had a challenging debut against England, will need to overcome his struggles against spin, with Axar Patel poised to exploit this weakness.
The bowling attack promises to be a decisive factor in the match. At the Rural Trust Development Stadium, pace bowlers have historically dominated, accounting for 361 dismissals compared to just 112 by spinners. India Dās pace trioāArshdeep Singh, Tushar Deshpande, and Harshit Ranaācould exploit these conditions effectively. Conversely, India Cās experienced pace lineup, featuring Gaurav Yadav and Sandeep Warrier, will offer a stern challenge.