Bengaluru, Aug 27 (PTI) The Duleep Trophy returns to its traditional zonal format, kicking off India's domestic cricket season with high expectations. Six zonal teams will participate in this storied competition, which debuted in the 1960s. Last year, the tournament was played with India A, B, C, and D teams. It failed to impress stakeholders, prompting a return to the original format. The Duleep Trophy has gained significance, especially as the BCCI requires star players to participate in domestic events unless they're on national duty or injured.
In West Zone, Shardul Thakur, fresh from the Test squad in England, will captain a star-studded side featuring Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Iyer and Sarfaraz are determined to prove their worth after being sidelined in the recent tour of England. Meanwhile, Jaiswal, who shone in red-ball cricket, is keen to make a mark, having been left out of the Asia Cup squad.
South Zone, under Tilak Varma's leadership, sees the return of R Sai Kishore after missing the Buchi Babu tournament due to injury. Absent from the squad are K L Rahul and Sai Sudharsan. Devdutt Padikkal makes his comeback from injury, hoping to catch the selectors' attention after losing his spot due to the Australia tour.
East Zone, captained by Abhimanyu Easwaran, eyes redemption as Easwaran seeks to capitalize on his time off the field during India's UK tour. Mohammed Shami, hoping to regain his fitness and place in the Indian Test squad, will aim to leave a mark after being omitted from recent tours.
Value of Leadership p> North Zone, originally to be captained by Shubman Gill, will likely see Vice-captain Ankit Kumar stepping up as Gill recovers from illness. Though Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are set to play only the opening game, their participation adds intrigue to the team. Arshdeep, eager to showcase his Test cricket credentials, adds an exciting dimension. Meanwhile, Harshit Rana has personal motives, seeking to re-enter the national selectors' radar.
Central Zone, featuring notable players like Dhruv Jurel and Rajat Patidar, looks to make a statement. Jurel's leadership qualities will be under scrutiny, while Patidar hopes to regain national attention following a tough series against England last year.
Finally, in the NorthEast Zone, the team faces a formidable challenge against seasoned opponents. A standout performance here could propel players into the spotlight.
Squads Summary:
South Zone: Tilak Varma, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Tanmay Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohit Kale, Salman Nizar, Narayan Jagadeesan, Tripurana Vijay, R Sai Kishore, Tanay Thyagarajan, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Nidheesh MD, Ricky Bhui, Basil NP, Gurjapneet Singh, Snehal Kauthankar.
East Zone: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Riyan Parag, Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami.
West Zone: Shardul Thakur, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Aarya Desai, Harvik Desai (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Jaymeet Patel, Manan Hingrajia, Saurabh Nawale (wicket-keeper), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Dharmandrasinh Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Arzan Nagwaswala.
North Zone: Shubham Khajuria, Ankit Kumar, Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull, Ankit Kalsi, Nishant Sandhu, Sahil Lotra, Mayank Dagar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Kanhaiya Wadhawan.
Central Zone: Dhruv Jurel, Rajat Patidar, Aryan Juyal, Danish Malewar, Sanjeet Desai, Kuldeep Yadav, Aditya Thakare, Deepak Chahar, Saransh Jain, Ayush Pandey, Shubham Sharma, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed.
NorthEast Zone: Jonathan Rongsen, Akash Kumar Choudhary, Techi Doria, Yumnum Karnajit, Sedezhalie Rupero, Ashish Thapa, Hem Bahadur Chetri, Jehu Anderson, Arpit Subash Bhatewara, Pheroijam Jotin Singh, Palzor Tamang, Ankur Malik, Bishworjit Singh Konthoujam, Aryan Borah, Lamabam Ajay Singh.
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
