The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reinstated the traditional regional format for the 2026–27 Duleep Trophy, which is set to begin on August 23, 2026. As part of this structure, the South Zone cricket team has finalized a balanced 15-member roster. The lineup is headlined by prominent domestic stars and young talents looking to solidify their spots ahead of India’s upcoming international red-ball assignments.
The primary leadership group for the zone is the pair of the dynamic young left-hander Tilak Varma as captain alongside seasoned Andhra batter Ricky Bhui as vice-captain. They will guide a robust batting contingent that includes India international Karun Nair, Tamil Nadu's clinical top-order wicketkeeper-batsman N Jagadeesan, and the highly touted 20-year-old Shaikh Rasheed.
The batting core of the squad is bolstered with domestic mainstays such as Abhinav Tejrana, K Himateja, Smaran Ravichandran and K Sai Teja.The bowling department is immensely deep and versatile, well-suited for the multi-day format.Experienced leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal joins forces with Tanay Thyagarajan to shoulder the spin responsibilities.Meanwhile, the pace department is anchored by Karnataka’s right-arm medium-fast bowler Vidwath Kaverappa, alongside Tripurana Vijay, H Aman Khan and MD Nideesh.
South Zone will get a direct entry into the knockout stages of the tournament having finished in top two in the last edition of the tournament.They will skip the quarter-final round altogether and will take the field on August 30, 2026, for their semifinal match at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Ishan Kishan to lead East Zone; Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named vice-captain
The East Zone selection committee has officially announced a powerhouse 15-member squad for the upcoming 2026–27 Duleep Trophy, scheduled to kick off on August 23 in Bengaluru. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has been named captain to lead the star-studded lineup, while teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been appointed vice-captain in a historic, developmental move.
The squad is a good mix of experience and youth especially with the inclusion of premium Indian pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar. Prolific domestic run-scorer Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to partner Sooryavanshi at the top of the order, with a reliable core of batsmen in Virat Singh, Sudip Kumar Gharami and Kumar Kushagra. Balanced all-rounders in the form of Shahbaz Ahmed and Anukul Roy.
However, the team will miss the services of key players Riyan Parag and Akash Deep, who were ruled out as they continue to rehabilitate from their respective surgeries. Starting their red-ball campaign in the tournament's quarterfinal, East Zone will battle North Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, aiming to exploit their newly announced lethal pace attack and explosive batting unit to chase domestic glory.
