The semi-final matches of the Duleep Trophy commenced in Bengaluru on Thursday. Many star players are absent from both semi-finals. While Central Zone faces West Zone, North Zone takes on South Zone in the second semi-final. Sarfaraz Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Dhruv Jurel, Tilak Verma, and Harshit Rana are out of the semi-finals. The absence of these players has somewhat dimmed the shine of the semi-finals. However, Shreyas Iyer is playing and will be aiming to make a strong case for his comeback to Team India with a stellar performance in the semi-finals.
Star Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav was set to play in the Duleep Trophy for Central Zone. However, he has been selected for the Asia Cup and the Indian team is set to leave for the UAE. Consequently, Kuldeep has withdrawn from the semi-finals and will fly to Dubai with Team India at midnight on September 4. In his absence, the spin attack of the team appears slightly weaker. The pressure has increased on key fast bowlers like Deepak Chahar, Khalil Ahmed, and Yash Thakur (who replaced Kuldeep) to perform better on this challenging pitch.
Dhruv Jurel was part of the Central Zone team as the regular wicketkeeper-batsman and was also declared the captain. However, he is unavailable due to a dengue virus infection and is now out of the semi-finals. Akshay Wadkar will replace Jurel, with Upendra Yadav as another option. It was crucial for Jurel to play here as scoring runs could have bolstered his claim for Team India, but he has now missed this opportunity. Rishabh Pant is out of the team due to a fracture, making this a golden opportunity for Jurel.
Sarfaraz Khan was set to play for West Zone and was in good form in the recent domestic season, scoring a brilliant century in the Buchi Babu tournament. However, he is out of the Duleep Trophy due to injury and will be away from the field for about three weeks. His exit is a significant setback for West Zone as they have lost a veteran red-ball player who could turn the tide of the match.
Tilak Verma was to play the semi-final for South Zone but, like Kuldeep Yadav, he will also not play as he is busy preparing for the Asia Cup after being selected for the Indian team. The absence of Tilak, who originally captained his team, has led to a reshuffle in leadership and a lack of reliable top-order players. Mohammad Azharuddin has now been given the responsibility of captaincy in his place for the South Zone team.
Fast bowlers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh were to play for North Zone. However, the North Zone team will take the field without its fast bowlers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh as both have been rested to keep them fresh for the Asia Cup campaign.
This has created a significant gap in the bowling lineup of North Zone. In their absence, it presents a golden opportunity for new names like Aaqib Nabi, who caught everyone’s attention last time by taking four wickets in four balls. Anshul Kamboj is also part of the team. Additionally, Yudhveer Singh Charak and Punjab fast bowler Gurnur Brar are also included in the team.
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