With 19 trophies (the most), West Zone is considered the strongest team in the Duleep Trophy. Now, they are going to be even stronger since star players from Mumbai have announced their availability. The West Zone selection committee has named Shardul Thakur as captain for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025, with the squad boasting big names like Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The tournament begins on August 28 in Bengaluru, marking the return of the traditional zonal format.
Thakur to lead West Zone
Despite speculation, Iyer was not handed the captaincy, with selectors wary that he might be picked for India’s Asia Cup squad, which starts September 9. Thakur, who has been instrumental in Mumbai’s Ranji success with his lower-order batting and knack for breakthroughs, will instead lead the side.
Unlike Iyer, Thakur is in England currently, taking part in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. However, he didn’t have a great series, failing to contribute with either bat or ball.
Shreyas Iyer in action soon
Now, the likes of Iyer and other Mumbai players have confirmed their availability to play in Duleep Trophy. Sarfaraz Khan, who recently grabbed headlines after shedding a lot of weight, will be eager to perform. He was part of India’s home season and even went Down Under but didn’t find an opportunity. The talented middle-order batter was dropped from the Test team in England, and thus would be waiting for his chances yet again in Duleep Trophy.
“Iyer has informed us that he is available to play in the Duleep Trophy. Other players like Sarfaraz, Shivam Dubey and Tushar Deshpande have confirmed their availability,” a source in the MCA told Indian Express earlier this day.
Shivam Dubey misses out, Rahane & Pujara overlooked
While several Mumbai stars made the cut, Shivam Dubey, who had confirmed his availability, was a surprise omission. The selectors also chose not to include stalwarts Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. This might mean that the BCCI selectors have all but confirmed their desire not to see the legendary duo in the setup.
Thakur will be joined by his Mumbai teammates Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, and Tushar Deshpande, all superb contributors in the domestic circuit. The squad also includes Jaiswal, also currently part of the Test series in England, and Sarfaraz, eager to reignite his red-ball credentials after missing out on India’s England tour.
West Zone squad
Shardul Thakur (Capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Aarya Desai, Harvik Desai (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Jaymeet Patel, Manan Hingrajia, Saurabh Nawale (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Dharmendra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Arzan Nagwaswala.
Duleep Trophy 2025 schedule
The Centre of Excellence was already confirmed as the venue. However, the dates weren’t out before. According to Cricbuzz, South Zone and West Zone have been handed direct qualification into the Duleep Trophy 2025 semifinals. And the two quarterfinals are already set.
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal 1 (North Zone vs East Zone) | August 28-31 | Centre of Excellence |
| Quarterfinal 2 (Central Zone vs North-East Zone) | August 28-31 | Centre of Excellence |
| Semifinal 1 | September 4-7 | Centre of Excellence |
| Semifinal 2 | September 4-7 | Centre of Excellence |
| Final | September 11-14 | Centre of Excellence |
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