Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead Rest of India in Irani Cup
What's the story
Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to lead Rest of India in the impending Irani Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday.
The team is take on Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in Lucknow from October 1-5.
This announcement comes amid speculation about the potential release of Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and Yash Dayal from the Indian team for the Irani Cup.
Captain's record
Gaikwad's impressive performance in Duleep Trophy
Gaikwad fared well in the Duleep Trophy, having scored 232 runs. His impressive performance included two half-centuries.
He was named the Rest of India skipper by a committee led by Ajit Agarkar. Abhimanyu Easwaran has been picked as Gaikwad's deputy.
Easwaran also slammed consecutive tons in the red-ball tournament for India B.
Player availability
Uncertainty over Jurel and Dayal's participation
The BCCI has stated that "Dhruv Jurel and Yash Dayal have been selected in the Rest of India squad and their participation is subject to them not being involved in the second Test match against Bangladesh in Kanpur."
This implies that if these players are not selected for the upcoming Test against Bangladesh, they may be released to play in the Irani Cup.
Information
A look at Rest of India squad
Rest of India squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, and Rahul Chahar.