UP’s Pratham secured berth in Duleep Trophy

Lucknow: Pratham Singh from Uttar Pradesh, who plays as opening batter for Railways, has been selected in India A squad for the second round of Duleep Trophy commencing from Sept 12 in Anantapur.Singh (32), hailing from Akbarpur district, had amassed an impressive 530 runs in 11 innings, emerging as the highest run-scorer for Railways in the previous Ranji season. The left-handed opener's inclusion in the India A Duleep Trophy squad came after a few key players were named for India Test team against Bangladesh.Talking to TOI, Pratham said, "I'm employed as a technician in Railways. Previously, I played Under-22 cricket for the Jharkhand Cricket Board, and subsequently, I secured a position in Railways and represented them. I am immensely delighted to be selected for Duleep Trophy. Railways achieved the highest run chase in Ranji history, successfully pursuing a target of 378 against Tripura in their Elite Group C match, where I contributed a significant 169 runs off 300 balls, including 16 boundaries and one six. This performance garnered considerable attention."