Published: Sep 07, 2017, 12:54 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 07, 2017, 12:54 PM (IST)
India Red skipper Abhinav Mukund will not be playing the Duleep Trophy 2017 opener against India Green. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the Indian opener is down with dengue and could miss the entire tournament. Talented Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw is set to be Mukund’s replacement in the squad. Mukund’s Tamil Nadu teammate Dinesh Karthik will lead India Red in the pink-ball game that will be played at Ekana International Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. ALSO READ: IND Green lock horns vs IND Red in opening tie
Mukund scored a fine 81 against Sri Lanka in the second innings of the first Test in July but he had to make way for a fit KL Rahul for the second Test. He also drew a lot of attention and accolades for his anti-racism stand when he shared a powerful message on Twitter highlighting plights of dark-skinned Indians.
Bengal southpaw Sudip Chaterjee could get a game in Mukund’s absence and is likely to open alongside Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal. Ambati Rayudu is also set to feature in the XI. India’s experimentation with day-night First-Class cricket will continue. Even last year, the Duleep Trophy was played with the pink ball. Originally, the tournament was not a part of India’s domestic calendar due to the packed schedule; however Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI’s technical committee ensured that the high profile tournament made its way back.
India Red Squad: Dinesh Karthik (c), Priyank Panchal, Sudip Chatterjee, Ishank Jaggi, Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant (wk), Baba Indrajith, K Gowtham, Karn Sharma, Basil Thampi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ashok Dinda, Rahul Singh, CV Milind, Prithvi Shaw.
