The red-ball cricket or the Buchi Babu and the Duleep Trophy

Suryakumar Yadav's return to red-ball cricket has created quite a stir, especially as he prepares to compete in both the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament and the Duleep Trophy. This marks an important moment for his Test career after a tough debut against Australia 18 months ago, where he managed only 8 runs. His proactive move to request inclusion in the Buchi Babu squad following his stint as India's T20 captain underlines his commitment to excelling in the longer format.

Selectors appear keen to assess his performance during these tournaments, which could heavily influence his chances for selection in the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. His involvement, alongside notable players like Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan, heightens the competition for valuable middle-order spots on the national team.

With a star-studded Mumbai lineup in the Buchi Babu event, all eyes will be on Sarfaraz Khan, who is determined to cement his position in the Test squad. He knows that scoring runs is essential, particularly with Yadav's return and Iyer's forthcoming participation putting additional pressure on middle-order positions. Emerging talents, such as Ishan Kishan leading Jharkhand, and promising wicketkeepers like Upendra Yadav will also be looking to make their mark.

As the tournament progresses, the competition for Test spots within the Mumbai team will escalate, and the Duleep Trophy further emphasises this contest by providing valuable match practice ahead of the Ranji Trophy. For both seasoned players and newcomers, these tournaments are an excellent platform to hone skills and adapt to various conditions, especially considering the demanding series against Bangladesh, and New Zealand, and a challenging tour of Australia on the horizon.

Ultimately, the Buchi Babu and Duleep Trophy tournaments represent critical opportunities for players aspiring to secure a place in the Test team, thus drawing keen interest from fans and selectors as they analyse the future landscape of the Indian Test side.