Kolkata : 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 also understood that participation of South Zone skipper Tilak Varma, and East Zone players like 15 years old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and keeper Ishan Kishan, all of whom are in India’s T20I team, also in Asian Games 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.
