Last Wednesday, India ended their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, albeit on a forgettable note, with a 0-2 loss in the ODI series preceded by a 3-0 clean sweep in T20Is, and entered a rare 42-period break in international cricket until their next campaign in September. India will next play against Bangladesh, which will mark the beginning of the home season, in a two-match Test series starting September 19. However, the star players are expected to be in action when the Duleep Trophy kicks off on September 5.

According to a report in Indian Express, with an eye on the preparation for the Bangladesh Test series next month, which will be followed by a three-Test contest in October at home against New Zealand, BCCI's selection committee is likely to name India captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli for the Duleep Trophy, which will be played in a new format this season. Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Surykumar Yadav, and Kuldeep Yadav have also been asked to be available for the domestic tournament.

However, senior fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah's prolonged rest period is likely to continue after he was not named for any of the white-ball squads for India since the T20 World Cup win in June. In fact, the report added that with the selectors expecting spin-friendly tracks for the home series against Bangladesh, Bumrah is likely to be rested for the contest, given that Mohammed Shami, who has been out of action with an ankle injury since the ODI World Cup last year, closing in on return.

Rohit Sharma vs Virat Kohli likely on cards

With the Duleep Trophy no longer to be played in zonal format, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will name four squads, India A, B, C and D, for the tournament, which will begin on September 5 and end on the 24th. Since all the four teams will be star-studded, Rohit and Kohli could represent opposite teams. It will surely add more intrigue among fans for the domestic tournament much like the presently-defunct Challenger Series that was played in 2005, where Sourav Ganguly represented India Seniors alongside MS Dhoni, and the duo were up against Virender Sehwag-led India B and Rahul Dravid's India.

The report added that BCCI is currently contemplating the venue for the tournament. While it is slated to be played in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, with the venue not connected by air transport, the board might opt for stage one round of the tournament at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

However, Rohit and Kohli's availability for the opening two rounds of the Duleep Trophy has not been confirmed yet. The board is currently planning a training camp in Chennai before the Bangladesh series, and if that gets confirmed, Kohli and Rohit will participate in the opening round of the tournament.

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