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Duleep Trophy 2024: Shubman Gill Replaced, Samson Included As Iyer's India D Opt To Bowl Vs India A

Sanju Samson has been included in the playing XI [X]Sanju Samson has been included in the playing XI [X]

In a significant development, India D skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl in their second round Duleep Trophy 2024 encounter against India A. While India A have made a whopping seven changes to their playing XI from the first match, the D team has brought Sanju Samson in place of KS Bharat. 

Shubman Gill, who captained India A in the first game, has missed out on this clash to join Team India's preparatory training camp in Chennai ahead of the Bangladesh Tests. 32-year-old batter Pratham Singh has replaced him as Mayank Agarwal's opening partner in the India A line-up. 

Shreyas Iyer Emphasises Capitalising On Anantapur's Seam-Friendly Pitch

Considering Anantapur's seam-friendly pitch, Shreyas Iyer emphasised capitalising on the moisture to get a positive start to the game. He said, 

"We are going to bowl first. In the last game, we saw a little bit of moisture at the start. We lost six wickets back to back. So, based on that, this is the decision we are taking. [On plenty of changes in the lineup] It is not at all a challenge because I have played with the majority of guys. So, we know their strengths and weaknesses. It's about the players getting an opportunity to showcase their talent. They have the ability to play at this level."

"Just to dominate as much as possible and not think about what's going to happen. Let's be optimistic and confident in our approach. Everyone is here to perform."

Mayank Agarwal Confident Of A Better Batting Performance From India A

Meanwhile, Mayank Agarwal, who is captaining India A in the absence of Shubman Gill, reckoned they would've bowled first as well. However, the Karnataka batter also showed confidence on his team's ability to tackle India D's rampant attack on Anantapur's challenging surface.  

"We would also have liked to bowl. There is some freshness and moisture on the wicket, but it is what it is. That's the nature of this sport. In our country you get to play in a variety of conditions and you get tested to adapt. We are looking forward to the challenge," Agarwal said. 

"It can be a little tricky at times, but if you do enough homework, you understand each one of them and give them the environment to perform. They would be confident and sure of their skills. I am pretty sure they will go out and express themselves," he added. 

India A vs India D: Playing XIs

India A: Mayank Agarwal (c), Pratham Singh, Tilak Varma, Riyan Parag, Shashwat Rawat, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Aaqib Khan

India D: Atharva Taide, Yash Dubey, Shreyas Iyer (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (wk), Ricky Bhui, Saransh Jain, Saurabh Kumar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vidhwath Kaverappa