Varun Aaron to play for the India Greens in the Duleep Trophy

The Duleep Trophy for the 2017-18 season of the Indian domestic cricket has been enshrouded in utter mayhem from long before it even kicked off. As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had scrapped it to begin with, the tournament was revived at the very last minute, leading to confusion about the inclusion of several players.

In a recent development, pacer Varun Aaron and opener Prithvi Shaw have been drafted into the India Green and India Red squads respectively.Since there had been a longstanding dilemma over the Duleep Trophy being held for the 2017-18 season, quite a few major players are unable to take part in the championship, owing to injuries or other commitments. While Ishant Sharma is currently abroad, looking at the prospects of participating in the County Championship, players like Shreyas Iyer and Abhinav Mukund have excused themselves owing to injuries. Aaron and Shaw were hence, named as last-minute replacements.

Utter chaos regarding player participation grips the Duleep Trophy

Mumbai batsman Iyer and Jammu & Kashmir all-rounder Parvez Rasool have backed out from the tournament since the former is suffering from an injured knee while the latter is expected to travel for his Haj pilgrimage. Jharkhand pacer, Aaron, as a result, will be featuring in the Indian Green squad as a replacement. As another severe blow, the broadcasters have also been unable to make timely arrangements for the opening match in Lucknow and only the final match from September 25 to 29 will be broadcasted.

India Red is also burdened with its own share of absentees, as skipper Abhinav Mukund is down with dengue, while Dhawal Kulkarni and Ambati Rayudu have opted out of the tournament. As a result, India Red will be playing with a squad of 14 in the opening match, whereas India Green will have a squad of only 13. No official announcement has been made as of yet, about the availability or replacement of India Blue players.