The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Tuesday, named the Rest of India squad for the upcoming Irani Cup match against Mumbai at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, which will begin on October 1. The squad was picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.

Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel and fast bowler Yash Dayal, currently part of the India Test squad for the home series against Bangladesh, have been named as part of the 15-member Rest of India squad. However, their participation is subject to them not being involved in the second Test match against Bangladesh in Kanpur, which will begin on Thursday (September 27). Both did not make the playing XI for the opening Test match last week where India won by 280 runs in Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium.

With first-choice wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant having scored a century on his return to Test cricket and India likely to feature three spinners on a black-soil comprising Kanpur track, both Jurel and Dayal are expected to reach Lucknow for the Irani Cup tournament.

BCCI also added that Sarfaraz Khan, who has been retained in the Indian squad for the 2nd Test, will be released to represent the Mumbai team subject to him not being involved in the Kanpur match against Bangladesh.

Ruturaj Gaikwad named captain; Ishan Kishan earns a call-up

Gaikwad, who 232 runs in six innings in the recently-concluded Duleep Trophy campaign, which included two half-centuries, has been named the captain of the Rest of India squad. Abhimanyu Easwaran, who smashed back-to-back centuries, in the red-ball tournament for India B, has been named his deputy. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan, who impressed the selectors with a century in the Buchi Babu tournament last month and in the Duleep Trophy, earned a call-up for the Irani Cup match.

Rest of India squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (WK)*, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar.

More to follow…

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