Vaibhav Suryavanshi has impressed everyone with his strong performances in the Duleep Trophy. After failing in the opening match, he scored 132 runs across two semifinal innings. Additionally, he narrowly missed a century in the first innings. The Duleep Trophy final begins on September 6.
The final will feature players like Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Tilak Varma. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir faces a difficult decision. The final overlaps with India’s preparations for the Afghanistan T20 series.
Gambhir will decide players’ availability
Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Suryavanshi are part of India’s squad for the Afghanistan series. Therefore, Gambhir must decide whether they play the Duleep Trophy final or focus on national duties.
Vaibhav played a crucial role in East Zone’s semifinal victory over Central Zone. His contribution helped East Zone secure a four-wicket win. Consequently, East Zone reached the final, where they will face South Zone.
According to PTI, selectors want available players to participate in the Duleep Trophy final. The match will take place at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium from September 6. However, Gambhir will make the final call regarding Vaibhav, Ishan and Tilak.
Rahul, Padikkal and Siraj expected to play
Meanwhile, selectors believe KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal should feature in the final. These three players last played on August 27 during India’s drawn second Test against Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, selectors prefer match practice instead of a long break before upcoming assignments. The India-Afghanistan T20 series starts on September 13.
If Gambhir allows the players to join the team by September 10 evening, Vaibhav, Ishan and Tilak could play the final. However, no confirmation has arrived yet.
