Indian batter and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad started practising on Saturday for the upcoming 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, where he will represent the West Zone team.
In the Indian Premier
League (IPL) 2025, Gaikwad’s season was cut short by an injury after scoring 122 runs in five matches, averaging 24.40, with two half-centuries. His performance was inconsistent, and his team managed only one win out of five matches during the season.
Ruturaj was in Chennai recently and, along with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, launched the former’s new padel brand in Palavakkam.
Dhoni had recently said that Gaikwad’s return will strengthen Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) batting line-up in the next IPL season, after Gaikwad withdrew mid-way through the previous season due to an elbow injury.
Other notable Indian international players in the West Zone squad include Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, and Sarfaraz Khan. Shardul Thakur, named captain, has no previous experience leading in the first-class format but captained Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December 2024, a one-day tournament.
The competition, scheduled from August 28 to September 15, will kick off the Indian domestic season 2025-26. Last year, the tournament shifted from its usual zonal format to having four different Indian squads, A, B, C, and D, selected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
International players like Axar Patel, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav participated in the tournament. This year, the tournament will return to its zonal format, with six teams: North, South, East, West, Central, and North East, selected by the Ranji team selectors in each zone.
What Is The West Zone Squad For The Duleep Trophy?
Batters: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Aarya Desai, Manan Hingrajia.
Wicketkeepers: Harvik Desai, Saurabh Nawale.
All-rounders: Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Jaymeet Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.
Bowlers: Shardul Thakur (c), Tushar Deshpande, Arzan Nagwaswalla.
(With inputs from ANI)
