The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed strong displeasure over the omission of top international players like KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj from the South Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. In response, the board has officially written to all state associations, urging them to prioritise the selection of centrally contracted players for the domestic season-opener.
The issue arose after South Zone named their squad on July 27 without including several big names such as Rahul, Siraj, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna and Sai Sudharsan. The Duleep Trophy, which kicks off on August 28 in Bengaluru, is widely seen as a crucial platform for domestic and national-level talent. South Zone’s decision not to include these players, despite their availability during the ongoing off-season, did not go down well with the board.
BCCI general manager of cricket operations Abey Kuruvilla addressed the matter in an email sent last week to zonal convenors and state units. In the email, accessed by The Indian Express, Kuruvilla underlined the importance of maintaining the prestige and competitive standard of the Duleep Trophy by ensuring the participation of all available India players.
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“To uphold its prestige and ensure the highest quality of competition, it’s imperative that all currently available India players are selected for their respective zonal teams,” Kuruvilla wrote. “Requesting the Zonal Convenors to ensure that all the current Indian players who are available to play the Duleep Trophy should be picked.”
{{/usCountry}}“To uphold its prestige and ensure the highest quality of competition, it’s imperative that all currently available India players are selected for their respective zonal teams,” Kuruvilla wrote. “Requesting the Zonal Convenors to ensure that all the current Indian players who are available to play the Duleep Trophy should be picked.”
{{/usCountry}}This directive is in line with the BCCI’s standing policy that mandates participation of international players in domestic competitions. The board has previously warned against players prioritising the IPL over first-class cricket and reminded all contracted players earlier this year to commit to the domestic calendar. The expectation was reiterated after India’s Test tour of Australia in January.
Although the BCCI’s instruction came after South Zone had already announced its squad, it remains unclear whether the selectors will revise their list. Tilak Varma was named captain of the South Zone team, which did not include any of the major international players in question.
Meanwhile, several other national players including Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer are expected to take part in the tournament, representing their respective zones.
State associations have previously expressed concern that the automatic inclusion of India stars into zonal sides sidelines Ranji players who have performed consistently throughout the season. Many have argued that India A tours and fixtures, like the Board President’s XI would be more appropriate avenues for international players, allowing zonal tournaments to serve as reward pathways for domestic performers.
However, the BCCI has made it clear that all players who wish to be considered for national selection must participate in domestic tournaments unless exempted by both the national coach and selection committee, and only with prior approval from the board. In his email, Kuruvilla emphasised that leave will only be granted for "valid and cogent" reasons.
The Duleep Trophy has returned to a zonal format this year, with teams being picked by zonal selectors rather than the national panel, as was the case in the previous season.