India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel will captain Central Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025, which is set to begin later this month. The announcement, made on Thursday, August 7, confirmed his leadership role in one of India’s most prestigious domestic red-ball tournaments.
This year, the Duleep Trophy returns to its traditional zonal format. Four teams will compete, each featuring top-performing players aiming for a place in India Test squad. To ensure regional representation, zonal committees from different states have selected the squads.
Karun Nair’s Omission Raises Eyebrows
Interestingly, Karun Nair, who had a strong Ranji Trophy season for Vidarbha and recently earned a Test team recall, has not been included in the squad. So far, selectors have not offered an official explanation for his omission, sparking debate among fans and analysts.
A Big Opportunity for Central Zone Players
Central Zone will kick off their campaign against North East Zone on August 28 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Notably, this tournament offers players a golden opportunity to impress selectors ahead of India’s upcoming four-Test series scheduled for October and November.
Kuldeep Yadav to Lead the Spin Attack
In the bowling department, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav will head Central Zone’s spin unit. He recently toured England with the Indian Test squad but didn’t feature in any matches. Supporting him will be Harsh Dubey — who claimed an impressive 69 wickets in the 2024–25 domestic season — and Manav Suthar, who stood out in last year’s Duleep Trophy.
Pace Duo Returns with Firepower
Meanwhile, the pace attack gets a boost with the return of Khaleel Ahmed, who comes back fresh from county cricket. Deepak Chahar, who missed the final stages of IPL 2025 due to injury, also makes a comeback and will look to regain form.
Central Zone Full Squad
- Dhruv Jurel (captain & wicketkeeper)
- Rajat Patidar*
- Aryan Juyal
- Danish Malewar
- Sanchit Desai
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Aditya Thakare
- Deepak Chahar
- Saransh Jain
- Ayush Pandey
- Shubham Sharma
- Yash Rathod
- Harsh Dubey
- Manav Suthar
- Khaleel Ahmed
Madhav Kaushik, Yash Thakur, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mahipal Lomror, Kuldeep Sen, Upendra Yadav
Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, Match Predictions, Fantasy Tips, and Live Cricket Action—only on Today Cricket Matches!
