Duleep Trophy: In-form Gaikwad-led India C in line to win trophy, faces India A in final round

India C, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, is in pole position with nine points, while Mayank Agarwal’s India A has six points.

There is plenty of quality batting for India C in the form of captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (in pic), Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar and B. Sai Sudharsan. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu

The focus on the final round of matches in the Duleep Trophy could well be on Suryakumar Yadav. India’s T20 superstar is all set to play for India B against India D, but there is plenty to look forward to in the other match, between India A and India C.

The tournament may be more about individual performances and less about the points table, but India C may not mind retaining its pole position and thus win the trophy, which used to enjoy much more prestige in the past. India C, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, has nine points, two more than India B.

India A, captained by Mayank Agarwal, has six points. The skipper will be keen to convert the starts he has been getting here. He had made 56 in the last match against India D and before that 36 against India B. He has to score big in matches like these to earn the selectors’ attention. His last Test was in 2022, against Sri Lanka.

Duleep Trophy Points Table ahead of final round

Mayank’s opening partner Pratham Singh and Tilak Varma had scored hundreds in the 186-run win against India D. Tilak, who averages 53.63 in First Class cricket, is seen by many as an all-format for India. And he is just 21.

Riyan Parag is only a year older. The selectors will be watching how he could take his proven skills in white-ball cricket to red. They will also be taking close looks at the India A bowlers like Prasidh Krishna, Shams Mulani and Khaleel Ahmed.

There are several men in the India C team that will interest the selectors, such as Anshul Kamboj, the leading wicket-taker here, and Manav Suthar. Kamboj has taken 11 wickets with his seam bowling, while the left-arm spinner Suthar had taken seven for 49 in the second innings against India D. Against India B, he shone with the bat, making 82.

There is plenty of quality batting for India C in the form of captain Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar and B. Sai Sudharsan. Kishan had made a 126-ball 111 against India B, after making a surprise appearance. That knock was one of the proofs of the relevance of a tournament like Duleep Trophy.