Shardul Thakur to Lead West Zone in Duleep Trophy Amid Veteran Exclusions

Duleep Trophy Set to Kick Off with New Format

The Duleep Trophy is gearing up to commence from August 28 to September 15, marking the beginning of the 2025-26 Indian domestic cricket season. This year, the tournament will see a return to its traditional zonal format, featuring six teams: North, South, East, West, Central, and North East. The selection of these teams will be managed by the Ranji team selectors from each zone, as reported by Wisden.

Notably, Indian batting stalwarts Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have been left out of the West Zone squad, which will be captained by Shardul Thakur. This decision may signal the end of their aspirations to rejoin the national team, especially after the management's shift following the ICC World Test Championship final defeat to Australia in 2023.

Performance Insights of Rahane and Pujara

In the previous Ranji Trophy season, Rahane accumulated 467 runs, while Pujara scored 402 runs, with both players achieving one century and one fifty each. Their recent performances have been inconsistent, contributing to their exclusion from the squad.

Pujara has played 103 Tests for India, amassing 7,195 runs at an average of 44.36, including 19 centuries. Rahane, on the other hand, has scored 5,077 runs in 85 Tests, averaging 38.46 with 12 centuries to his name.

West Zone Squad Overview

The West Zone team boasts several prominent players, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Although Shardul Thakur has not captained in first-class cricket before, he led Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December 2024.

Here’s a look at the West Zone Duleep Trophy squad:

-Batters: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Aarya Desai, Manan Hingrajia

-Wicketkeepers: Harvik Desai, Saurabh Nawale

-All-rounders: Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Jaymeet Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

-Bowlers: Shardul Thakur (c), Tushar Deshpande, Arzan Nagwaswalla.