Picking a combined India 'A' and India 'B' 11 for 2024 Duleep Trophy ft. Akash Deep and Musheer Khan

India A are taking on India B in the opening match of the 2024 Duleep Trophy at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The four-day contest began on Thursday, September 5, with India A winning the toss and deciding to field first.

India A got off to a sensational start with the ball, reducing India B to 94-7 inside 45 overs. Musheer Khan, however, played a brilliant knock of 181 to lift India B. The 19-year-old struck 16 fours and five sixes in his 373-ball innings. Musheer found good support from Navdeep Saini (56 off 144) as the duo featured in a 205-run stand for the eighth wicket.

India B then bowled out India A for 231 in the Duleep Trophy 2024 match. Pacers Mukesh Kumar and Saini starred with three scalps each. India B were 150-6 at stumps on Day 3 in their second innings. They have a lead of 240 runs heading into the final day's play. As the two sides prepare to battle it out again on Day 4, we pick a combined XI of India A and India B for the 2024 Duleep Trophy.

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Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (c)

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill will be the openers in the combined India A-India B XI for the Duleep Trophy 2024. Representing India B, Jaiswal was dismissed for 30 in the first innings and nine in the second. However, he has a terrific first-class and Test record, averaging over 70 and 68, respectively.

India A skipper Gill would also lead the combined XI. He was dismissed for 25 in the first innings and would look to make amends when his side chases against India B in the 2024 Duleep Trophy match. Gill averages a little under 50 in his first-class career, having played 50-plus matches.

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Middle order: Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk)

Musheer was responsible for India B's fightback in the first match of the 2024 Duleep Trophy. The right-handed batter played an excellent hand under pressure, proving yet again that he is one to watch out for. Musheer had a brilliant Ranji Trophy season for Mumbai, scoring 203* in the quarterfinal against Baroda and 136 in the final against Vidarbha.

Musheer's elder brother Sarfaraz Khan also makes the combined XI. Representing India B, he was dismissed for nine off 35 in the first innings in the Duleep Trophy match but contributed a brisk 46 off 36 in the second. Sarfaraz has an exceptional first-class record based on which he made his Test debut earlier this year and impressed in the home series against England.

India A batter KL Rahul was dismissed for 37 off 111 balls in the first innings against India B. He hit only four fours in his knock. While Rahul would be disappointed that he couldn't carry on, he still finds a place in the combined India A-India B XI for the 2024 Duleep Trophy based on the experience that he possesses. Rahul would back himself to come good in the second innings.

India B keeper-batter Rishabh Pant was dismissed for seven in the first innings but followed it up with a typically aggressive 61 off 47 in the second essay, a knock that included nine fours and two sixes. His performances in white-ball cricket have been disappointing, but Pant's red-ball exploits are legendary, so it would be hard to leave him out of the India A-India B combined XI for the Duleep Trophy 2024.

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Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Navdeep Saini, R Sai Kishore, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan

Looking at the bowlers, R Sai Kishore and Kuldeep Yadav would be the spinners in the combined XI, while Saini, Akash Deep, and Avesh Khan would form the pace bowling trio.

Saini has had a good all-round match so far. After contributing a half-century for India B, he also claimed 3-60 with the ball, which included the big scalps of Gill, Mayank Agarwal, and Dhruv Jurel.

Akash Deep has already picked up six wickets for India A in the 2024 Duleep Trophy match. The pacer claimed 4-60 in the first innings and has picked up two scalps in the second innings so far. As for Avesh, he chipped in with 2-59 in the first innings and has claimed one wicket in the second innings as of now.

Seasoned left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep has only managed one wicket in the match so far. He dismissed Musheer in the first innings. He will be expected to come to the party for India A on Day 4 of the match. As for left-arm spinner Sai Kishore, the India B bowler claimed 2-10 in the first innings from 6.4 overs.