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The 2026 Duleep Trophy is set to begin on August 23rd, and the North Zone’s 15-member squad for this prestigious domestic first-class tournament has been announced. The biggest buzz is the appointment of young wicketkeeper-batsman Kanhaiya Wadhawan from Jammu and Kashmir as the team’s captain. The 24-year-old will be captaining a zonal team at this level for the first time. Meanwhile, young Delhi batsman Ayush Badoni has been appointed the team’s vice-captain. Last season, Indian Test captain Shubman Gill was assigned to captain North Zone , but he was unable to participate in the tournament due to injury. This time, the Indian team will play a Test series in Sri Lanka in late August, making players like Shubman Gill and Aaqib Nabi unavailable for the Duleep Trophy. Consequently, the selectors have reposed their faith in Kanhaiya Wadhawan, given his impressive domestic performances.

Kanhaiya Wadhwan has emerged as one of the most reliable players in Jammu and Kashmir cricket over the past few years. He has consistently performed impressively with the bat, including his wicketkeeping skills. During the Ranji Trophy title campaign, he scored 474 runs in 13 innings at an average of 36.56. He also scored a brilliant century, while his crucial half-century in the final match played a crucial role in the team’s victory. This performance earned him recognition in domestic cricket. Kanhaiya previously represented North Zone in the 2025 Duleep Trophy, scoring 99 runs in three innings. Although he didn’t score a big innings, the selectors decided to hand him the captaincy this time, citing his leadership skills and consistent performances.

This time, six players from Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir have been included in the North Zone team, which is considered a sign of the team’s strong performance. The responsibility of the fast bowling attack will rest on the shoulders of Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh , who is also joined by Anshul Kamboj. Significantly, Arshdeep Singh and Anshul Kamboj are the only players in the entire team who have experience playing international cricket for India. The Duleep Trophy is considered the most prestigious tournament in Indian domestic cricket. Teams from West Zone, East Zone, South Zone, North Zone, North-East Zone, and Central Zone will participate in this competition. Players who perform well in this tournament are often considered contenders for the Indian Test team. Therefore, for Kanhaiya Wadhawan, this captaincy will not only be a leadership responsibility but also a major opportunity to elevate his career to new heights.

North Zone squad:
Kanhaiya Wadhawan (captain), Ayush Badoni (vice-captain), Sanat Sangwan, Kamran Iqbal, Yash Dhull, Ayush Doseja, Abdul Samad, Nishant Sindhu, Arjun Sharma, Abid Mushtaq, Arshdeep Singh, Sunil Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, Yudhvir Singh and Nikhil Kashyap.