August 12, 2024

Rahul, Pant, Suryakumar, Gill Set to Play Duleep Trophy

Senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to miss the Duleep Trophy, which starts on September 5, according to iplwin365. The selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, will choose the teams later this month. Most other centrally-contracted players are expected to participate in the tournament.

Key players to watch include KL Rahul, who missed most of England’s Test series this year due to injury, and Rishabh Pant, making his red-ball return after recovering from a car accident. Also, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rajat Patidar are likely to be selected.

Mohammed Shami, nearing full fitness, might play in one of the matches to test his match readiness. He is currently completing his rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru.

With India scheduled for 10 Tests over the next five months, including a two-Test series against Bangladesh starting on September 19, senior players will have an extended break. Additionally, one of the two Duleep Trophy matches from September 5 may be moved from Anantapur to Bengaluru due to logistical reasons, with the Karnataka State Cricket Association being considered as an alternative host.

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 prioritising Indian Premier League over domestic cricket would lead to “severe implications”, which had later led to Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan 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.

Graham Thorpe Struck by Train; Family Confirms He ‘Took His Own Life’

“We are not ashamed of talking about it – there is nothing to hide and it is not a stigma,” Thorpe’s elder daughter Kitty says

Former England batter Graham Thorpe tragically died after being hit by a train at Esher railway station in Surrey. The opening of an inquest into his death on Tuesday revealed that Thorpe, aged 55, had taken his own life. His family confirmed on Monday that he had been struggling with depression and anxiety.

Speaking on Tuesday at Surrey Coroner’s Court in Woking, coroner Simon Wickens said Thorpe had suffered “traumatic injuries” after being struck by a train on the morning of August 4. Wickens offered “sincere condolences” to Thorpe’s family and to “all those touched by his life and career”. A date for Thorpe’s full inquest will be fixed at a later time.

The coroner had received a referral regarding the incident from British Transport Police (BTP). On August 5, a spokesperson for BTP issued the following statement: “Officers were called to Esher railway station at 8.26 am on 4 August to reports of a casualty on the tracks. Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.”

The cricket world deeply mourned the loss of Thorpe, a respected left-handed batter who later became a coach. Thorpe, who played for Surrey and England, earned 182 caps for his country and scored 16 centuries in 100 Test matches. Many former and current players have paid tribute to him.

Thorpe had not been involved in cricket since he was removed as an England assistant coach following their 4-0 defeat in the 2021-22 Ashes series. He was set to become Afghanistan’s head coach but never took up the role due to a serious health crisis in May 2022, when he was hospitalized after a previous attempt on his own life.