With India set to play 10 Tests over the next five months, the senior players will be given an extended break leading into the first of those assignments, the two-Test series against Bangladesh, starting in Chennai on September 19.
One of the two Duleep Trophy games that will be held simultaneously from September 5 is likely to be moved from Anantapur to Bengaluru owing to logistical considerations. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has been sounded out informally to be available to host the fixture.
The move to have several contracted players feature in the competition is in line with the BCCI’s push towards ensuring domestic cricket is prioritised. In February, secretary Jay Shah had sent out a letter that non-participation will lead to “severe implications”, which had later led to Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kisha losing their central contracts after they missed some of the Ranji Trophy games just before the IPL.
Originally a zonal competition picked by a convener from each of the six zones (North, South, East, West, Central and North-East), the format of the Duleep Trophy was tweaked prior to this season, upon the recommendation of a BCCI working group comprising former head coach Rahul Dravid, NCA chief VVS Laxman, Agarkar and BCCI general manager Abey Kuruvilla.
One of the reasons for this move was to ensure the selectors are able to give a wider pool of players, including those in the targeted group, enough opportunities heading into India’s Test season. The four-team tournament is set to run until September 22 with each side set to play the other three in a round-robin format. The topper at the end of the standings will be the winner.