Why Duleep Trophy is no longer a bridge to international cricket

The Duleep Trophy, once seen as a pathway to India's international cricket, is now viewed as an increasingly isolated event from the Test selection process. Recent fitness concerns ahead of India's Sri Lanka tour prompted national selectors to call up two experienced players from the domestic First-Class circuit. The zonal selections made for the Duleep Trophy appear to diverge from the priorities of the national selectors, leading to concerns over the tournament's relevance.

The system, which allows zonal committees to pick teams while national selectors select the India A squad, has been criticized for lacking national oversight and having contrasting selection philosophies. While some former selectors argue that national selectors should still have a say, the current system has resulted in only six Test players being picked from the 75 initial Duleep Trophy entries.