The 2024–25 Duleep Trophy final round, which starts in Anantapur on Thursday, will have Suryakumar Yadav in the lineup after being cleared by the National Cricket Academy.
He will start for the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led India B against the Shreyas Iyer-led India D, replacing Sarfaraz Khan. India’s Test team, which includes Sarfaraz, will play Bangladesh in a two-Test series beginning on Thursday in Chennai.
In order to tend to a thumb ailment, Suryakumar Yadav had been left off the squad before the opening round.
After taking a hit to his right thumb during pre-season play at the Buchi Babu Invitational in Coimbatore, he had complained of some soreness in his grasp on the bat.
Since the June–July Duleep Trophy in last year’s cricket season, India’s T20I skipper, Suryakumar, has not participated in any first-class matches. But even before the season began, Suryakumar had stated that he wanted to be a part of the Indian Test team.
“I want to earn that spot again, as there are many people who have worked really hard to earn it,” Suryakumar had stated last month. “In Test matches, I made my India debut. I was hurt again after that. Many others who were given the chance and succeeded as well. Now is the time for them to get that chance.
“I will automatically play going forward if I had to. That is beyond my power. I can play [ongoing events like Buchi Babu and Duleep] at the moment and see what happens. Yes, but, I’m pretty excited about it. I’m certainly looking forward to some red-ball fun as India has 10 Test matches scheduled for this season.”
Suryakumar will probably play his next match during the home Twenty20 Internationals against Bangladesh in October. This could mean he won’t be available for at least the first round of the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, which is scheduled to begin on October 11.
Also Read: After losing to India A in the Duleep Trophy 2024, Shreyas Iyer- “The ball turned and the batters were getting beaten”
Currently ranked second in the four-team table, India B defeated a star-studded India A in their tournament opener. They stand a solid chance of winning the championship if they win their last game handily.
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