Tilak Varma to lead South Zone team in Duleep Trophy 2025
In a return to its previous format, the Duleep Trophy will be contested by the six zonal teams, unlike last year when the four squads – India A, B, C and D – were handpicked by the senior men's national selection committee.
Tilak was appointed as skipper despite missing out on Hyderabad's Ranji Trophy 2024-25 due to his international commitments last season. Kerala batter Mohammed Azharuddeen who had shone in the knockouts of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 was named the vice-captain. Four members of Kerala's maiden Ranji final appearance have made the squad.
Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper N Jagadeesan, who secured his maiden India call-up after Rishabh Pant's injury for the upcoming fifth Test against England at the Oval, has also been included, besides internationals Devdutt Padikkal and R Sai Kishore.
South Zone Duleep Trophy 2025 squad: Tilak Varma (c) (Hyderabad), Mohammed Azharuddeen (vc) (Kerala), Tanmay Agarwal (Hyderabad), Devdutt Padikkal (Karnataka), Mohit Kale (Pondicherry), Salman Nizar (Kerala), Narayan Jagadeesan (Tamil Nadu), Tripurana Vijay (Andhra), R Sai Kishore (Tamil Nadu), Tanay Thyagarajan (Hyderabad), Vijaykumar Vyshak (Karnataka), Nidheesh MD (Kerala), Ricky Bhui (Andhra), Basil NP (Kerala), Gurjapneet Singh (Tamil Nadu), Snehal Kauthankar (Goa).
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Deccan Herald
4 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
South Zone selection shocker for Karnataka
Bengaluru: Ranji Trophy performers and future potentials were dealt a raw deal as quota demands appear to have prevailed while picking the South Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy in Puducherry on Saturday. .Karnataka pacer V Koushik, who claimed 23 wickets last Ranji Trophy season, and batter R Smaran, who hammered 516 runs in just seven games, received a royal snub by the South Zone selectors. While Smaran was put in as a stand-bye, Koushik wasn't included among them. .Snehal Kauthankar, the 29-year-old Goa batter, has been included in the 16-member squad. His 949 runs last Ranji season may justify his selection but when when consider that those runs came in the Plate group, including his unbeaten 202 against Nadu's 19-year-old batter Andre Siddarth, who amassed 600-plus runs in eight games, has also been kept as one of the six by virtue of being in the final of the Ranji Trophy, have managed to squeeze in four players but Basil NP's selection beggars belief. The 28-year-old pacer claimed 16 wickets in five games in the season gone by. Edhen Apple Tom's inclusion among stand-byes is equally surprising. The medium pacer, who has played three first-class matches over three years, appeared only in the final of Ranji Trophy last season and claimed four unclear if Koushik's decision to represent Goa from next season left him with no supporters in the selection meeting. .Hyderabad batter Tialk Varma didn't play a single Ranji Trophy match last season, and managed 148 runs, including a 111 n.o., in four Duleep Trophy innings last year. While his form in County championship for Hampshire, for whom he has scored 315 in five innings, should be good enough to pick him, handing him captaincy ahead of Sai Kishore, who took Tamil Nadu to semifinals, is a bit batter Devdutt Padikkal and pacer Vyshak Vijaykumar made the cut from Karnataka ranks in the 16-member squad. .Tanmay Agarwal, with 934 runs including four hundreds, for Hyderabad. .The competition will return to a Zonal format this time around with the BCCI deciding to scrap the India A, B, C and D format. .The quarterfinals of the tournament will see North Zone clash East Zone while Central Zone face North East Zone. South and West Zones have received direct entries to the semifinals, where they will face the winner of the first and second quarterfinals, respectively. .South Zone squad: Tilak Varma (c), Mohammed Azharuddeen (vc), Tanmay Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohit Kale, Salman Nizar, Narayan Jagadeesan, T Vijay , R Sai Kishore, Tanay Thyagarajan, Vyshak Vijaykumar, MD Nidheesh, Ricky Bhui, Basil NP, Gurjapneet Singh, Snehal Mohit Redkar, R Smaran, Ankit Sharma, Edhen Apple Tom, Andre Siddarth, Shaikh Rasheed.
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- The Hindu
Tilak to lead South Zone in Duleep Trophy
Hyderabad's Tilak Varma will lead South Zone in the Duleep Trophy tournament that starts on August 28 at Bengaluru. The South Zone selectors picked a 16-member squad along with six standby players. Kerala, which finished runner-up in the Ranji Trophy, has the maximum representation with four players while Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad have three each. The tournament reverts to a zonal format this year with six teams participating. North will face East and North-East will take on Central in the two quarterfinal games. South and West Zone have secured a direct berth into the semifinals. The squad could have some changes if some of the South Zone players, who are part of the Indian Test squad, are made available. All matches will be played at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. The squad: Tilak Varma (Capt.), Mohd. Azharuddeen (vice capt.), Tanmay Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohit Kale, Salman Nizar, Narayan Jagadeesan, T. Vijay, R. Sai Kishore, Tanay Thyagarajan, Vyshak Vijaykumar, M.D. Nidheesh, Ricky Bhui, N.P., Gurjapneet Singh, Snehal Kauthankar. Standbys: Mohit Redkar, R. Smaran, Ankit Sharma, Edhen Apple Tom, Andre Siddarth, Shaikh Rasheed (Andhra).
Hans India
10 hours ago
- Hans India
India batter Tilak Varma to lead South Zone in 2025 Duleep Trophy
India left-handed batter Tilak Varma will captain South Zone in the 2025 Duleep Trophy, starting on August 28. The tournament, which will be held in the old zonal format of six teams, will mark the beginning of 2025/26 domestic cricket season. Though Tilak didn't play for Hyderabad in the previous Ranji Trophy season due to his Indian team commitments, the left-handed batter scored a century on his County Championship debut for Hampshire against Essex and followed it up with scores of 56, 47 and 100. Kerala batter Mohammed Azharuddeen, who shined for Kerala in the Ranji semi-final against Gujarat in Ahmedabad with his career-best score of 177, has named the vice-captain in a squad selected by South Zone selectors during a meeting in Pondicherry. Apart from Azharuddeen, batter Salman Nizar along with pacers Basil NP and Nidheesh MD have found places in the main squad. Hyderabad opener Tanmay Agarwal, who amassed 934 runs in seven matches and paved the way for the side's return to the Elite system in Ranji Trophy, has also been named. Other prominent India names include left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore, left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal and wicketkeeper-batter Narayan Jagadeesan, who earned his maiden India call-up as a replacement for injured Rishabh Pant for the upcoming fifth Test against England at The Oval. The Duleep Trophy will begin on August 28 through quarter-final clashes between North Zone and East Zone, while Central Zone take on North East Zone at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on August 28. The first match of the South Zone is on September 4, with their opponents to be winner of the clash between North and East Zones. Former India fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji will be the head coach of the South Zone team. South Zone Duleep Trophy squad: Tilak Varma (c) (Hyderabad), Mohammed Azharuddeen (vc) (Kerala), Tanmay Agarwal (Hyderabad), Devdutt Padikkal (Karnataka), Mohit Kale (Pondicherry), Salman Nizar (Kerala), Narayan Jagadeesan (Tamil Nadu), Tripurana Vijay (Andhra), R Sai Kishore (Tamil Nadu), Tanay Thyagarajan (Hyderabad), Vijaykumar Vyshak (Karnataka), Nidheesh MD (Kerala), Ricky Bhui (Andhra), Basil NP (Kerala), Gurjapneet Singh (Tamil Nadu), and Snehal Kauthankar (Goa). Stand-by players: Mohit Redkar (Goa), R Smaran (Karnataka), Ankit Sharma (Pondicherry), Edhen Apple Tom (Kerala), Andre Siddarth (Tamil Nadu), and Shaikh Rasheed (Andhra).
