RCB’ title winning captain Rajat Patidar has been appointed captain of the Central Zone squad for the 2026 Duleep Trophy, with Rinku Singh named his deputy for the prestigious domestic tournament, scheduled to be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru from August 23 to September 10.The leadership duo brings together two of Central Zone’s most experienced batters. Patidar, who captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to back-to-back IPL titles, will now look to guide Central Zone in the season-opening first-class competition, while Rinku will serve as vice-captain.
Saransh Jain likely to miss opening matches
Among the notable inclusions is off-spinning all-rounder Saransh Jain, who is also part of India’s Test squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. However, Jain is expected to miss at least the opening phase of the Duleep Trophy as he remains with the national team. With Washington Sundar ruled out of the first Test, Jain is among the leading contenders to make his Test debut in the series opener at Galle, beginning on August 15. The second Test is scheduled to start in Colombo on August 23, the same day the Duleep Trophy gets underway.Central Zone have assembled a balanced squad featuring several established domestic performers and exciting young talents. Apart from Patidar and Rinku, the batting unit includes Aryan Juyal, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Chandela, Yash Rathod and Ayush Pandey, while the all-round department is strengthened by Harsh Dubey, Arshad Khan and Saransh Jain.The bowling attack features Zeeshan Ansari, Aryan Pandey, Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute, while Aryan Juyal and Kunal Singh Rathod have been named as the wicketkeeping options.
Duleep Trophy to kick off India’s domestic season
The Duleep Trophy will once again mark the beginning of India’s domestic red-ball season, with all matches set to be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru between August 23 and September 10. The tournament continues in its zonal format and is expected to feature several Indian internationals and emerging talents from across the country.Central Zone squad: Rajat Patidar (captain), Rinku Singh (vice-captain), Aryan Juyal (wicketkeeper), Saransh Jain, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Chandela, Zeeshan Ansari, Aryan Pandey, Arshad Khan, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Kunal Singh Rathod (wk), Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute.Stand-by players: Amandeep Khare, Mayank Mishra, Saurabh Rawat, Bhargav Merai, Kunal Yadav and Kumar Kartikeya.
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