Duleep Trophy 2024: Suryakumar Yadav declared fit, set to represent India B

India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has been given the green light to participate in the final round of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy and will join the India B squad. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) has cleared Yadav to play in the crucial match on Thursday in Anantapur, where he will replace Sarfaraz Khan in the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led squad.

Yadav's return to red-ball cricket comes after a brief gap due to a thumb injury that sidelined him from the initial rounds of the tournament. The precautionary measure was taken after he experienced discomfort while gripping the bat, following a blow to his right thumb during fielding at the pre-season Buchi Babu Invitational in Coimbatore.

As India's T20I captain, Yadav has been performing consistently in the shorter format of the game. However, his last appearance in first-class cricket dates back to the previous year's Duleep Trophy in June-July.

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Want to earn that spot again: Suryakumar Yadav

Yadav has been vocal about his ambitions to represent the Indian team in red-ball cricket. He recently expressed his desire to compete for a spot in India's Test team.

"There are a lot of people who have worked hard to earn their place and even I want to earn that spot again. I made my debut for India in Tests. After that, I got injured as well. There were a lot of people who got an opportunity and have done well too. They deserve that opportunity right now," Yadav said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

The return of the 34-year-old is crucial for India B, who are currently sitting second in the four-team table. An outright win in their final game against Shreyas Iyer-led India D could help them clinch the title, especially after their impressive victory over a star-studded India A in the tournament opener.

Looking ahead, Yadav's schedule remains packed with international commitments. He is likely to feature in the home T20Is against Bangladesh in October, which might affect his availability for the initial rounds of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season starting October 11.