Stars galore for curtain raiser

India int'ls, fringe players & those making comeback will be in focus at Duleep Trophy

- GOMESH S @Chennai

EVEN as the Indian team is gearing up for the men's T20 Asia Cup, all eyes will be on the star players who will take the field in the opening round of Duleep Trophy from Friday.

Set to be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, the first round of the tournament will be the curtain raiser for the domestic season featuring the likes Dhruv Jurel, Arshdeep Singh, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Kuldeep Yadav and others. India Test captain Shubman Gill was initially set to lead North Zone but having been down with viral fever, it seems unlikely for him to play. After the first round fixture, Gill is expected to join the Indian team for the Asia Cup.