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Duleep Trophy 2026 South Zone Team: Indian T20 team vice-captain Tilak Varma has been appointed captain of the 15-member South Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The tournament will be played from August 23 to September 10 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. Andhra batsman Ricky Bhui will be the vice-captain of the team, while Andhra’s experienced Level 2 coach MN Vikram Varma has been appointed as the head coach.

Tilak was recently part of the Indian T20 team that defeated Zimbabwe 3-0. However, prior to that, he had lost the T20 series 0-2 on the Ireland tour and 0-4 on the England tour as captain.

selection committee meeting

The selection committee meeting was called by Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) Secretary Sana Satish Babu. Former Andhra Ranji Trophy player RV Chandramouli Prasad chaired the selection panel. Representatives from all seven southern state units, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Hyderabad, Goa, Puducherry, and Kerala, attended the meeting.

The team includes experienced batsman Karun Nair, along with promising players like Karnataka’s R. Smran and Hyderabad’s Himateja. Sheikh Rashid has also been included in the squad. Rashid was part of the India ‘A’ team that defeated Sri Lanka ‘A’ 1-0 and has also been included in the squad. Goa batsman Abhinav Tejarana is also part of the squad. Tamil Nadu’s N. Jagadeesan will handle the wicketkeeping duties.

South Zone gets direct entry into the semi-finals

South Zone, having reached the final last season, has earned a direct entry into the semi-finals. They will begin their campaign against the winner of Quarterfinal 2 on August 30 at the BCCI COE Ground 2.

Left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal will handle the spin-bowling duties, while K Sai Teja, Tripurna Vijay, Vidwath Kaverappa and MD Nidhish will handle the fast bowling department.

South Zone team

N. Tilak Varma (captain), Ricky Bhui (vice-captain), Abhinav Tejarana, Sheikh Rashid, K.M. Himateja, R. Smaran, N. Jagadeesan (wicketkeeper), Karun Nair, Tanay Thiagarajan, Shreyas Gopal, K. Sai Teja, T. Vijay, Vidwath Kaverappa, H. Aman Khan and M.D. Nidhish.

Captains of other teams in the Duleep Trophy

Star batsman Rajat Patidar has been named captain of the Central Zone team for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy, while Indian finisher Rinku Singh has been named vice-captain. The tournament begins on August 28th. As champions of the previous season, Central Zone has secured a direct berth in the semi-finals. The team will begin its campaign on August 30th at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Ishan Kishan has been named captain of the East Zone team for the 2026 Duleep Trophy, with 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi as vice-captain. Mohammed Shami will also be part of the squad.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named captain of the West Zone team for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy. The 29-year-old Gaikwad, who captains the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, was Tilak Varma’s deputy in the recent India ‘A’ tri-series in Sri Lanka. Mumbai all-rounder Shams Mulani has been named vice-captain.