The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) will host the opening match of India's domestic cricket season, featuring a Duleep Trophy game. The KSCA has confirmed that the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will be the venue for the first of six four-day red-ball matches, beginning September 5. Although Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh is the designated venue for the multi-day tournament, this particular game has been relocated to Bengaluru.

"This decision comes at the request of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). We have agreed to host the match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium," a KSCA official told Cricbuzz. The venue change reflects the BCCI's decision to involve top international and domestic players in the four-team Duleep Trophy ahead of the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 18.

Top players, with the exception of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah, have been directed to participate in the competition. Most international players, including KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to take part, either partially or fully. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been given the option to choose whether or not to participate.

The only notable absentee from the top international players is expected to be Hardik Pandya, who has stopped playing red-ball cricket. However, selectors are anticipated to include Ishan Kishan, who has been constantly kept out for all international assignments, in one of the four squads. Jasprit Bumrah will be exempt from domestic duties, and Mohammed Shami, who is still undergoing rehabilitation after surgery, is unlikely to participate in the competition.

The decision was made collectively by the BCCI and selectors, with new coach Gautam Gambhir involved in the process. The exemption for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli was explained by a source, who disclosed to this website, is because the two star players are overworked. "It's up to them whether or not to play," the source explained. Rohit last participated in a domestic game in 2021, while Kohli has not featured in a national-level match since 2015.

The decision to include internationals in domestic competitions aligns with the BCCI's effort to address the issue of players skipping domestic matches. Last year, the board notably excluded Iyer and Ishan from the central contract list as part of this policy.

The four-team Duleep Trophy is a multi-day first class competition that will be conducted in a league format. There are no knockout games and the tournament concludes on September 22.