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The Duleep Trophy, a premier red-ball tournament in Indian domestic cricket, is set to kick off the 2024-25 season with a fresh format that moves away from the traditional zonal structure. Instead, four distinct squads — India A, India B, India C, and India D—have been announced by BCCI secretary Jay Shah. This change aims to provide a more competitive edge to the tournament, featuring a host of international stars.
These squads, India A, India B, India C, and India D, are packed with international stars, excluding only Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, and the injured Mohammad Shami.
While the immediate focus for India is on the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, the team management is also keeping an eye on potential seam-bowling and batting back-ups for the challenging five-Test tour to Australia later this year.
The Duleep Trophy will serve as a crucial platform for players to showcase their skills and make a case for selection in the Indian Test squad. While the Duleep Trophy squads are filled with promising cricketers, there are also a few notable omissions.
Here are five bowlers who were unlucky to miss out on selection.
5 bowlers unlucky to miss out on Duleep Trophy 2024 squads
#5 Jaydev Unadkat
Jaydev Unadkat, a seasoned left-arm pacer with a wealth of experience in domestic cricket and international matches, is one of the most prominent names missing from the Duleep Trophy squads.
Unadkat has been a key performer in the Ranji Trophy, where he has consistently led the bowling attack for Saurashtra. His performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic tournaments talk about his skill and experience. Despite these credentials, the decision to exclude him could be due to a focus on providing opportunities to emerging talents or different preferences by the selectors.
#4 Navdeep Saini
Known for his pace and bounce, Navdeep Saini has been a part of India’s bowling line-up in Tests and limited-overs cricket. His ability to bowl consistently at high speeds has made him a valuable asset.
However, he has featured in only two Tests for India in 2021. He last played a first-class match in January 2024. Saini has not had many opportunities yet at the International stage and has also been out with injuries, making his exclusion from the Duleep Trophy squads questionable. The selectors might have opted for bowlers who offer a more balanced skill-set or are seen as better fit for the red-ball format, impacting Saini’s chances.
#3 Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav, a veteran fast bowler with considerable experience in Test cricket, is another surprising omission. Yadav has been a regular feature in India’s Test squad in the past and has displayed his capability to take wickets in challenging conditions. His exclusion from the Duleep Trophy squads might touch upon the team management’s strategy to explore other options or to provide opportunities to younger bowlers. Nonetheless, Yadav’s absence raises questions as this could have been an opportunity for him to stage a comeback.
#2 Vasuki Koushik
Vasuki Koushik has emerged as a promising young talent in domestic cricket, with notable performances in recent seasons. He has been a prolific wicket-taker for Karnataka with 70 scalps from 16 first-class matches.
Koushik’s omission from the Duleep Trophy squads could be attributed to the selectors’ preference for bowlers with more experience or specific tactical reasons. As one of the emerging young fast bowlers who has shown promise, his exclusion seems to be questionable and unfortunate.
#1 Vaibhav Arora
Vaibhav Arora, who has shown significant potential in domestic cricket and has been on the radar of national selectors, is another bowler left out of the Duleep Trophy squads.
Arora’s performances have been impressive, and he has been seen as a potential future star. He has picked up 88 wickets from 24 first-class matches. Arora's ability to swing the ball both ways has garnered attention and he is looked upon as a potential talent.
His exclusion could be a result of the selectors’ decision to prioritize other bowlers who have either had more consistent performances or fit the immediate needs of the team.
