Sipu Jha
Following India’s impressive Test series against England, Shubman Gill has opted to captain North Zone in the forthcoming Duleep Trophy, commencing August 28 in Bengaluru, rather than taking a rest period. The 25-year-old will lead a 15-member squad featuring pacers Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar has praised this decision, particularly noteworthy given Gill’s recent performance of 754 runs at 75.4, including four centuries in his maiden series as Test captain. This marks Gill’s inaugural captaincy of North Zone in this prestigious competition, which returns to its traditional format.Writing for Sportstar, Gavaskar commended the BCCI‘s commitment to domestic cricket, choosing it over an international white-ball series.“It was good, therefore, to see that after the tour to Bangladesh was postponed to next year, the BCCI resisted the pressure to send a team for a white-ball series to Sri Lanka this month,” wrote Gavaskar. “By doing that, the BCCI have prioritised domestic cricket, as it means that now most, if not all, of the top players will be available to play in the Duleep Trophy tournament starting shortly. Shubman Gill, captaining the North Zone team is a massive shot in the arm for this tournament.”Gavaskar further noted the exemplary nature of Gill’s commitment, stating, “By being available for the tournament, the Indian skipper is sending the right signal to the other members of the team. It would have been understandable if, after a gruelling tour where five Test matches were crammed in a little over six weeks, he had opted to rest.”Regarding the fast bowlers’ absence, Gavaskar supported the decision: “The fast bowlers not playing is good thinking, as it has been an unusually hot summer in England, thanks to global warming, and their energies must have been expended after the untiring spells they bowled throughout the series.”With the Asia Cup beginning September 9 concurrent with the Duleep Trophy, the North Zone squad might face alterations if players receive national call-ups. Currently, Gill’s participation significantly enhances the tournament’s prestige. Despite his previous experience leading in 10 First Class matches, this responsibility presents a unique challenge in managing a zonal team in knockout competition.
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