New Delhi: Mohammed Azharuddeen is set to lead South Zone after Tilak Varma was ruled out of Duleep Trophy, keeping in mind his preparation for the Asia Cup, which starts from September 9 in the UAE.
Varma was scheduled to be South Zone’s captain in their semi-final against North Zone from September 4 to 7, but the left-hand batter had to opt put after he was named in India’s squad for the multi-nation tournament.
Kerala wicket-keeper batter Azharuddeen will lead South Zone as he was the designated deputy of Varma. Apart from Varma, Sai Kishore will also not be available for the semis as he is still recovering from a hand injury.
The all-rounder also missed the Buchi Bbau Trophy due to the injury. Kishore’s team-mate N Jagadeesan, who was a part of India’s fifth Test match against England, will serve as a deputy of Azharuddeen in the remaining part of the tournament.
Puducherry’s Ankit Sharma and Andhra’s Shaikh Rasheed have been included in South Zone’s squad. Rasheed showed his talent in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as he played some impressive knocks for five-time champions Chennai Super Kings.
North Zone handed a humiliating defeat to East Zone in the quarter-final. They scored over 1000 runs in the match, courtesy of Ayush Badoni’s maiden double-century, Yash Dhull and skipper Ankit Kumar’s tons.
Duleep Trophy 2025 Semi-final fixtures:
The semi-finals will begin from September 4 to 7. In the first semi-final, South Zone will take on North Zone, whereas West Zone will battle against Central Zone in the second semi-final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence ground in Bengaluru.
Shardul Thakur will lead the West Zone, the side featuring Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, and Tanush Kotain. All these stars will be aiming to make a mark in the tournament to make a comeback into the Indian team.