After eight years, the Duleep Trophy is back in the zonal format to provide the much-needed fillip to the BCCI domestic season of 2022-23. North, South, East, West, Central, and Northeast will vie for the title as the tournament begins in Chennai and Puducherry on Thursday.
Duleep Trophy is a tournament from the sixties. When the world underwent a wind of change with counterculture and The Beatles, Indian cricket found its mode of expression in the multi-day red-ball tournament among geographical zones; the Northeast is a new addition.
The tournament, named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji of Nawanagar, used to be the gateway to the Indian team back in the day.
The Ranji Trophy mattered, but a good show in Duleep called for better rewards as the best players from every zone get picked to showcase their skills.
The BCCI did not include Duleep in its calendar in 2015-16 for the first time since its inception, and from 2016-17, it was among three teams – India Red, India Green, and India Blue. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the BCCI to tweak the schedules, and Duleep could not make its way into the calendar after the 2019-20 season.
Rahane Back in Action
India's Test specialist Ajinkya Rahane will be back in action after nursing a hamstring injury sustained during the IPL.
The veteran batter from Mumbai will lead the star-studded West Zone comprising India internationals Prithvi Shaw (Mumbai) and Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai). Rahul Tripathi of Maharashtra, who was on the tour of Zimbabwe recently, is also in the mix.
The South Zone will be led by Hanuma Vihari (Hyderabad), with Mayank Agarwal (Karnataka) as his deputy. Manish Pandey (Karnataka) will bolster the side with his attacking batting and sharp fielding.
Mandeep Singh (Punjab) will lead the North Zone. U-19 World Cup-winning captain Yash Dhull (Delhi) and fast bowlers Siddarth Kaul (Punjab) and Navdeep Saini (Delhi) will be his trump cards.
Left-arm spinners Shahbaz Ahmed (Bengal) and Shahbaz Nadeem (Jharkhand) will play alongside each other for the first time in the East Zone under Manoj Tiwary. Riyan Parag (Assam) will be a highlight for his ability to entertain in the middle.
Karan Sharma (Uttar Pradesh) will lead the Central Zone comprising exciting players such as Venkatesh Iyer (Madhya Pradesh) and Uttar Pradesh's Priyam Garg and Ankit Rajpoot.
Ajinkya Rahane will feature in Duleep Trophy 2022-23.
(Photo: IANS)
A New Experience for Young Players
The tournament will be a new experience for a few cricketers who started their journey after 2014. India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who will represent the Central Zone, is one of them.
"It is a prestigious tournament, a stepping stone for cricketers to realise the ultimate dream of playing for the country. It will be my honour to represent the Central Zone," he said.
"When it is India Red, Green and Blue, it is not that impactful, but when you are representing a zone, there are so many people and associations behind you. It is the platform to elevate to the red-ball format, to be able to play for the Indian team," said Iyer, who rose to stardom for his stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
Iyer will be playing a red-ball game after two-and-a-half years, his last appearance being the Ranji Trophy before the pandemic. "I will prove to myself that I am an equally good red-ball player. I want to go and make my zone proud," said the 27-year-old, who had scored 93 and 59 in his last Ranji appearance against Mumbai in the 2019-20 season.
Attachment and Intensity
UP pacer Ankit Rajpoot, a veteran in domestic cricket and a proven performer in the IPL, believes the zonal format unites the players. "The attachment is more, and it is easier to understand each others' skills. The change in the middle years did not create much difference as the players were the same old guys. Any player from any state could be your teammate or opponent. But when you play among zones, the fighting spirit is more. It becomes a healthy competition," he said.
Being a fast bowler, Rajpoot has to manage his workload as Duleep Trophy would mean more red-ball games in the upcoming season. "The calendar got confusing ever since COVID changed the dynamics of the season, but it was always like this before. We would start with Duleep, and I am glad it is back."
"It is always challenging for a fast bowler as we will play white-ball tournaments after Duleep and Irani. And since we are professionals, we will adapt and play in any condition. We have to manage our workload better, and we cannot play all games. There will be rest in between. All teams plan that way," said Rajpoot, who has 230 first-class wickets under his belt in 68 games.
Saurashtra left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat, also an India international, feels Duleep in the zonal format offers "motivation."
Jaydev Unadkat feels Duleep Trophy offers 'motivation.'
(Photo: IANS)
"All players who performed in the domestic season over the years get their chances. It offers motivation as you are playing for an entire zone. Playing as a team becomes easier; hopefully, everyone will be competitive in their zones, and I am sure they will benefit from the competition.
"Playing against the best players in the country in itself is a motivation. For me, it will be about getting into that red-ball rhythm and proving things to myself against the players who have done well at the highest level. Getting the better of them is something I am looking forward to," said Unadkat, who led Saurashtra to Ranji Trophy title in the 2019-20 season.
The matches will be held at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the SNR College Cricket Ground in Coimbatore, Cricket Foundation Ground in Salem, and the Cricket Association of Puducherry.
Coimbatore will host the final on September 25. The West and North Zones have won the title 18 times each, and India Red emerged victorious in the last edition in 2019-20.
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