Why are KL Rahul and Shubman Gill wearing taped-up jerseys in Duleep Trophy 2024?

The Duleep Trophy 2024 started on September 5 at two different venues, Bengaluru and Anantapur. While Team India A are playing against Team India B in Bengaluru, Team India C and Team India D are playing in Anantapur. The tournament has started on a great note, with bowlers overshadowing the batters as needed by the team. From the scores, it feels like the tournament might be favourable for the bowlers unless the batters decide to turn the tables. 

Meanwhile, an interesting thing was noticed during the first game when Team India A's players, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, wore taped jerseys. This caught the attention of the spectators, but the reason for this was unclear. There might be multiple theories behind the taped jerseys, but one reason is the jersey numbers. While Gill has completely covered his jersey with the brown tape, Rahul has covered a part of it, showing number 1, which he generally wears. 

The possibility of them wearing the jerseys of different team members is quite high since they have hidden the jersey numbers or some part of it to avoid confusion. However, the real reason isn't made official yet and has become a guessing game. 

Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav to miss first round of Duleep Trophy

While playing in the recently concluded Buchi Babu Tournament, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav suffered injuries in their groin and thumb, respectively. Hence, they will be missing out on the first round of the Duleep Trophy 2024. Their return will depend upon the condition of the injury. This will impact their performance and their selection chances in the upcoming Bangladesh series.

The board is supposed to pick up players from the ongoing tournament, which will help them better align with the conditions. Plus, senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah will join the team. Hence, picking up young players and giving them exposure is something the Board was looking to do in the upcoming series.