The BCCI was on the verge of making a major goof-up after they selected wicket-keeper batsman Abhishek Gupta in the India Red squad for Duleep Trophy. Abhiskek has been banned for a doping violation till 14 September. The BCCI has named Akshay Wadkar as his replacement.

BCCI released a statement with regards to this, which read, " It was brought to notice by the BCCI anti-doping team that Abhishek Gupta who was initially added in the India Red squad is serving an eight-month ban for a doping violation. His ban is set to end on 14 September. The senior selection committee has reached a consensus that Akshay Wadkar will be included in the India Red team as Gupta's replacement."

The Duleep Trophy is scheduled to start on 17 August and will conclude on 7 September. It will end a week before the 27-year-old Punjab wicket-keeper Gupta's ban is lifted. 

Gupta had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance (terbutaline), which can be commonly found in cough syrups, the BCCI had informed in June, accepting the player's version of the incident. This was during a part of BCCI's anti-doping testing programme during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on 15 January in New Delhi.

The selectors met in Kolkata on Monday to pick the squads for Duleep Trophy. Faiz Fazal will captain India Blue, Abhinav Mukund will lead India Red and Parthiv Patel will be in-charge of India Green.

Gupta has played six first-class matches, six List A games and nine T20s.