Hyderabad batter Tilak Varma will lead the South Zone team in the 2025-26 domestic season-opening Duleep Trophy 2025 tournament in late August.
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 skipper during the South Zone selectors’ meeting convened at the Siechem Stadium in Pondicherry on Saturday, despite missing out on Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy 2024-25 with international commitments last season.
The 22-year-old southpaw has, however, been in fine scoring form after turning up for his maiden County stint with Hampshire since last month. Tilak recorded a century on his debut against Essex and backed it up with scores of 56, 47 and 100 in his next four innings.
Kerala batter Mohammed Azharuddeen, who had shone in the Ranji semi-final in Ahmedabad with his career-best score of 177 was named the vice-captain. Four members of the Kerala XI from their maiden Ranji Trophy final appearance last season were named in the squad, including batter Salman Nizar and pacers Basil NP and Nidheesh MD.
Hyderabad opener Tanmay Agarwal, who amassed 934 runs in seven matches in their return to the Elite system, was included, while R Smaran, who topped the charts for Karnataka with 516 runs in the previous Ranji season, was named a standby.
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.
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The Duleep Trophy season will begin with the quarter-final fixtures between North Zone-East Zone (QF1) and Central Zone-North East Zone (QF2) at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Benglauru on August 28.
South Zone will then face the winner of QF1, while West Zone takes on the QF2 winner in the second semi-final, starting September 4.
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).
Stand-by players: Mohit Redkar (Goa), R Smaran (Karnataka), Ankit Sharma (Pondicherry), Edhen Apple Tom (Kerala), Andre Siddarth (Tamil Nadu), Shaikh Rasheed (Andhra).
