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Bhubaneswar, July 21: When the BCCI started the Duleep Trophy in 1960-61 it was largely to breed talent. Former cricketers like Dilip Vengsarkar made it to the national team, by performing in this prestigious tournament. However, Monday, the BCCI decided to do away with this event. Here’s what some of the present Orissa cricketers had to say about the abolition of the tournament.
Biplab Samantray: It will be detrimental for youngsters who had the chance to compete against the top players of the country. This tournament gave us the chance to impress selectors. Now that will not happen anymore.
Govind Podder: BCCI’s move will backfire soon. I don’t know why such a decision has been taken but I’m sure it will turn out to be a mistake. Duleep Trophy, by far, is the best platform to showcase your abilities to get into the Indian team. Scrapping this tournament means nipping talents in the bud.
Abhilash Mallick: Duleep Trophy has produced the who’s who of Indian cricket. I’m not opposing the shorter formats, but a player’s real calibre can only be judged by how he plays the longer version. That is why Test cricket is still considered the real test of a cricketer.
Basant Mohanty: Most of the Indian players usually don’t take part in this tournament due to their packed schedule but for the next best group, the Duleep Trophy was the ideal platform to prove their worth. I personally feel bad because I have a lot of fond memories being a part of the East Zone team which won the title in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Deepak Behera: Scrapping the Duleep Trophy means that we will not be able to play against the best in the country. The shorter versions do not give you much of a scope to experiment; it is heavily in favour of the batsmen. The longer formats – Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy were tournaments where bowlers could hold their own.
Rashmi Ranjan Parida: Personally, I feel that it won’t make much of a difference. As it is, most of the top players used to skip this prestigious event. I am sure it will not affect Indian cricket in a big way.
