After announcing the schedule for the Duleep Trophy 2025, the BCCI has now started announcing the names of the captains for the teams. This time, adhering to the old tradition, the tournament will feature the four zonal teams: North, South, East, and West Zone.
Sports News: Preparations are in full swing for India's prestigious domestic Test cricket competition, the Duleep Trophy. The BCCI had already released the schedule for this highly anticipated tournament, and now team announcements have gradually begun. In this series, the West Zone team has been announced, revealing a significant change. Experienced players Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have been dropped from the team, while fast bowler Shardul Thakur has been given the responsibility of captaining the team.
Shardul Thakur Given Major Responsibility
Shardul Thakur will now lead the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025. Having been a part of the Indian team for a long time, Shardul will now be seen leading in domestic cricket. Under his captaincy, the team will see a combination of many young and experienced players. Players like Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad will be part of this team, which can provide both balance and aggression to the team.
Rahane and Pujara Not Being Selected is a Big Indication
Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, who were considered the backbone of the Indian Test team for years, have now been dropped from selection even at the domestic level. Their non-selection in a prestigious domestic competition like the Duleep Trophy indicates that perhaps the Indian selectors are now preparing for the future and prioritizing young players. This could be a sign for both senior batsmen that the road to returning to the national team has become even more difficult.
The West Zone team is filled with young players. Shreyas Iyer, who has been a part of the Indian limited-overs team for a long time, will try to prove himself in the red-ball format this time. At the same time, Yashasvi Jaiswal is also ready to create a b image for himself in domestic Test cricket. Talented players like Sarfaraz Khan and Ruturaj Gaikwad provide strength to the team, while fast bowler Tushar Deshpande has also been given a chance.
Tournament to Begin from August 28
The first match of the Duleep Trophy 2025 will begin on August 28, with North Zone and East Zone facing each other. The final match of the tournament will be played on September 11. This competition will be completely based on the Test format, which will give the players a chance to prove their technique and patience with the red ball. Every zonal team will get a chance to face each other, and the team that performs better will win the title.
Earlier, the South Zone team had been announced and Tilak Varma has been given the responsibility of captaincy. Tilak Varma has recently performed well in the IPL and India A team. Under his captaincy, the South Zone team also looks quite b.
South Zone Team: Tilak Varma (Captain), Mohammed Azharuddeen (Vice-Captain, Wicket-keeper), Tanmay Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohit Kale, Salman Nizar, N Jagadeesan (Wicket-keeper), T Vijay, R Sai Kishore, Tanay Thyagarajan, Vyshak Vijaykumar, MD Nidheesh, Ricky Bhui, Basil NP, Gurjapneet Singh, Snehal Kouthankar.
West Zone Team: Shardul Thakur (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tushar Deshpande.
