South Zone Duleep Trophy 2026 Squad: The exciting phase of the Indian domestic cricket season is about to begin! India’s T20 vice-captain Tilak Varma has been appointed captain of the 15-member South Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2026. Tilak Varma, who was recently part of the Indian T20 squad for the Zimbabwe tour, will now be seen leading South Zone on this major domestic cricket stage.
In the squad announced on Sunday, experienced Andhra batsman Ricky Bhui has been named vice-captain. Meanwhile, the responsibility of head coach has been entrusted to Andhra’s seasoned Level-2 coach, MN Vikram Varma.
Duleep Trophy 2026 Schedule & South Zone Match Rout
The tournament will be played from August 23 to September 10, 2026, at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
- Direct Entry to Semifinals: Having finished as runners-up (reaching the final) in the previous edition, South Zone has secured a direct spot in the semifinals this time.
- First Match Date: The South Zone team will face the winner of ‘Quarter-final 2’ on August 30 at the BCCI CoE Ground-2.
South Zone Batting Lineup & Spin Attack
The South Zone squad features a mix of international experience and young stars who have made waves in the domestic season:
- Karun Nair: The experienced Karun Nair will bolster the team’s middle order.
- R. Smaran: This young player from Karnataka earned his spot in the team after scoring a massive 950 runs in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26.
- Young Talent: Hyderabad’s K. Himateja, Goa’s Abhinav Tejrana, and Shaikh Rasheed, who recently played for India ‘A’ during the tour of Sri Lanka.
- Wicketkeeper: Tamil Nadu’s N. Jagadeesan will be the primary wicketkeeper; he was recently part of the India ‘A’ squad.
- Spin Department: Left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan and experienced leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal will spearhead the spin department.
South Zone Pace Bowling Attack
The South Zone pace bowling attack appears well-balanced and formidable. The team includes talented pacers such as Vidwath Kaverappa, K. Sai Teja, T. Vijay, and M.D. Nidheesh, all ready to capitalize on the conditions in Bengaluru.
South Zone Full 15-Member Squad for Duleep Trophy 2026
Tilak Varma (Captain), Ricky Bhui (Vice-Captain), Karun Nair, Abhinav Tejrana, Shaikh Rasheed, K. Himateja, R. Smaran, N. Jagadeesan (Wicketkeeper), Tanay Thyagarajan, Shreyas Gopal, K. Sai Teja, T. Vijay, Vidwath Kaverappa, H. Aman Khan, and M.D. Nidheesh.
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