Ishan Kishan to Shreyas Iyer: 7 players looking to make Test comeback through Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy will see plenty of regular Indian stars in action. But there are some, like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, who will be eyeing a Test return.
The Duleep Trophy is scheduled to begin on September 5 and we will see a lot of Indian national team stars in action. Some senior stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin have received exemptions from the competition.
The tournament will be held for almost three weeks, with Bengaluru and Andhra Pradesh hosting the competition. The BCCI have named the squads as Team A, Team B, Team C and Team D. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill will be captaining Team A, Team B will be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad will skipper Team C, and Team D will be led by Shreyas Iyer.
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Here are the players who will look to make a comeback:
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad has never represented India in red-ball cricket, and he will be looking to use this competition as a platform for his selection in India's upcoming two-match Test series vs Bangladesh, scheduled for September.
Shreyas Iyer
The KKR captain last played in a Test match for India on 25 January 2024 against England. Despite leading KKR to the IPL 2024 title, he missed out on a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad. He made his return to the Team India setup during the ODI series vs Sri Lanka, but was out of form. He will be looking to find some form to facilitate his India comeback.
Mayank Agarwal
Mayank last played in a Test match for India on 12 March 2022 against Sri Lanka, and that was also his last international appearance. Once considered a mainstay in India's red-ball unit, he doesn't have a place anymore. He will need to produce something special to make a u-turn in his international career.
KS Bharat
Bharat made his Test debut for India in 2023, and last featured in a match on 25 January, 2024 against England. The wicketkeeper-batter has to compete with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for that role, and will be looking to prove a point in the upcoming domestic tournament.
Rishabh Pant
After his freak car accident in 2022, Pant made a comeback in IPL 2024, and then was a key cog in India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign. He last played in a Test match for India in 2022, and will be looking to make his red-ball comeback in the upcoming Bangladesh series.
Suryakumar Yadav
Although he is India's current T20I captain, Suryakumar has only featured in one Test in his India career. But he has a good first-class record and a good performance could see him become a regular in Test cricket.
Ishan Kishan
Kishan has a lot to prove. He has been dropped from BCCI's list of central contracts. He has only appeared in two Test matches, both in 2023 vs West Indies. Meanwhile, he last represented India in November 2023 in a T20I match. He will be aiming for a shot at redemption.
