North Zone have reportedly made a few changes to their squad ahead of the Duleep Trophy semi-final against South Zone which begins on Sunday at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Punjab and India pacer Gurnoor Brar has joined the squad and is set to replace Sunil Kumar in the playing XI. He linked up with the team soon after India’s 1-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka which ended on Thursday. North Zone coaches have also decided to bring Delhi opener Sanat Sangwan into the side. He had an outstanding Ranji Trophy season last year, scoring 828 runs at an average of 69 but was left out of the quarter-final against West Zone as Yash Dhull was preferred.
Some #DuleepTrophy North Zone updates 1. Gurnoor Brar has joined squad and will replace Sunil Kumar in XI. 2. After getting tremendous flak, NZ coaches Ajay Sharma and Sarandeep Singh have decided to include Sanat Sangwan. 3. Ayush Badoni had fever and tonsil related problems but…
— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) August 29, 2026
Gurnoor Brar has picked up 62 wickets in 19 first-class matches at an average of 25.24. He also impressed on India A tour of Sri Lanka, where he claimed a 10-wicket haul. Ayush Badoni is expected to be fit for the game after dealing with fever and tonsil-related problems. Yash Dhull is carrying a hamstring niggle but trained on Saturday. He could still open the innings alongside Sangwan in which case Qamran Iqbal may be dropped. Sahil Lothra has also been released from the squad as North Zone settle on their combination for the knockout stage. The changes were made after North Zone beat West Zone by 52 runs in the quarter-final.
Duleep Trophy Semi-Final Fixtures
The Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-finals are scheduled to begin on Sunday, 30 August at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The first semi-final will be East Zone taking on defending champions Central Zone. East Zone booked their place in the last four after a comprehensive win in quarter-final. On the other hand,Central Zone will be led by Rajat Patidar and remain one of the sides to beat after winning the title last season.
The second semi-final will be between North Zone and South Zone. North Zone secured their place with a 52-run win over West Zone in the quarter-final with spin and contributions from the lower order playing an important role. South Zone will be led by Tilak Varma and finished as runners-up last season and come into the semi-final with a well-balanced side. Both semi-finals are scheduled to begin on Sunday morning. All the matches are being played at the BCCI CoE grounds. The final of Duleep Trophy 2026 will be played on 6th September.
