Excited to be Shubman’s deputy: Ankit

With the Indian Test team captain by his side, 27-year-old Haryana cricketer Ankit Kumar is excited to play the role of Shubman Gill’s deputy in the upcoming Duleep Trophy.

Ankit, the vice-captain of the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy, was in Chandigarh to interact with students of St Stephen’s Cricket Academy and to visit his former ground at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, where he honed his skills under Surinder Singh Baijee.

Ankit, who will play with the likes of Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh, said, “It’s a platform for me to perform and am looking forward to it,” said Ankit. Recalling his days in Chandigarh, Ankit said, “I used to train at the Sector 19 ground with limited facilities and exposure. With time, youngsters are getting good exposure, equipment and professional coaching.”

Ankit, who was top scorer for Haryana with 574 runs in 14 innings at an average of nearly 59 in the previous Ranji Trophy season, was appointed North Zone’s vice-captain. His Haryana team-mate Nishant Sindhu, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, also found a place in the squad. The Duleep Trophy has reverted to its traditional format of a zonal contest after a season, where four teams — A, B, C and D — will be in the fray. North Zone will play the domestic season’s opening game against East Zone from August 28 in Bengaluru. “This event will be entirely different from Ranji Trophy. I am expecting a good tournament,” he added.