New Delhi, Sep 3 (PTI) Veteran opener KL Rahul, Sri Lanka series hero Devdutt Padikkal and seasoned pacer Mohammed Siraj have been asked to play the Duleep Trophy final for South Zone against East Zone starting September 6 in Chennai.
It is understood that participation of South Zone skipper Tilak Varma, rising sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and keeper Ishan Kishan, all of whom are in India’s T20I team, will depend on approval from Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
“Rahul, Padikkal and Siraj do not have any competitive cricket right now. The national selectors want any India player who is available should play the Duleep Trophy final. The trio played last on August 27. The next they will play is September 27 against West Indies in the ODIs.
“Now Padikkal is not a part of ODIs so he might play India A series. But Duleep final if there is a chance, they should play,” a BCCI source privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
In the case of Sooryavanshi, Kishan and Tilak, it will be coach Gambhir’s prerogative.
“The Indian team will assemble in Delhi on either September 9 or 10. If head coach wants all three to report as per T20I team’s itinerary, then the trio can’t play. But if head coach wants them to play the final and report to Delhi on September 10 late evening, they can also do that,” the source added.
Even as the mystery surrounding his impending extension remains after he was excused from the all-important BCCI review meeting due to family commitments, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar will be in Chennai to watch the Duleep Trophy final.
As of now his contract gets over on October 4 and it will be interesting whether BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia discusses the matter of his extension with him.
The BCCI is planning to send Mayank Yadav, Kartik Tyagi and left-armer Mohsin Khan to the Asian Games in Japan to help the Indian team’s training session as net bowlers on specific request of head coach VVS Laxman.
It has been a practice for the BCCI to carry net bowlers and the trio are proven T20 performers.
“They are not part of official Indian contingent and will only be there till the Indian men play their first game on September 26, provided the BCCI can arrange for their Japanese visa on time before the team departs from Delhi on September 20,” the source added.