Duleep Trophy 2025: All that you need to know
What's the story
The 2025 Duleep Trophy is set to start from August 28 onward. North Zone face East Zone whereas Central Zone face North East Zone. Both games are play-offs for the semis. The likes of West Zone and South Zone are already in the semis. The semi-finals will start from September 4 onward. The winners from these two clashes will meet in the final from September 11 onward. Here we present the details and squads of the three teams announced.
East Zone
Mohammed Shami headlines East Zone
Mohammed Shami, a veteran Indian pacer, will be making his return to First-Class cricket after over a year. His last appearance in this format was in November 2024. The 34-year-old has been included in the squad along with Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep. The latter is currently a part of India's Test squad against England. Ishan Kishan will lead the side with Abhimanyu Easwaran being his deputy.
Team composition
A look at East Zone squad
A look at the complete East Zone squad: Ishan Kishan (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Riyan Parag, Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami. Standbys: Mukhtar Hussain, Aasirwad Swain, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Swastik Samal, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Rahul Singh.
South Zone
Tilak Varma to lead South Zone
Star Indian batter Tilak Varma is set to lead South Zone in the upcoming 2025 Duleep Trophy. The decision was taken during a meeting of South Zone selectors at Siechem Stadium in Pondicherry last Saturday. Despite missing Hyderabad's Ranji Trophy due to international commitments last season, Tilak was chosen for his impressive form and leadership potential.
Team composition
A look at South Zone squad
A look at the South Zone squad: Tilak Varma (captain), Mohammed Azharuddeen (vc), Tanmay Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohit Kale, Salman Nizar, Narayan Jagadeesan, T. Vijay, R. Sai Kishore, Tanay Thyagarajan, Vyshak Vijaykumar, MD Nidheesh, Ricky Bhui, Basil NP, Gurjapneet Singh, Snehal Kauthankar. Stand-by: Mohit Redkar, R. Smaran, Ankit Sharma, Eden Apple Tom, Andre Siddarth, Shaikh Rasheed.
West Zone
Shardul Thakur set to lead West Zone in Duleep Trophy
Shardul Thakur, the all-rounder from Mumbai, has been appointed as the captain of the West Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The squad also features Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and middle-order batsmen Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer. A total of seven players from Mumbai have found a place in this star-studded line-up. Notably, Ruturaj Gaikwad is also part of the 15-member squad. Veteran players Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have not been included in the West Zone squad.
Team composition
A look at West Zone squad
Squad: Shardul Thakur (captain, Mumbai), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai), Aarya Desai (Gujarat), Harvik Desai (wk, Saurashtra), Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai), Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra), Jaymeet Patel (Gujarat), Manan Hingrajia (Gujarat), Saurabh Nawale (wk, Gujarat), Shams Mulani (Mumbai), Tanush Kotian (Mumbai), Dharmandrasinh Jadeja (Saurashtra), Tushar Deshpande (Mumbai), Arzan Nagwaswala (Gujarat).
Details
Format, venue and streaming details
The 2025 Duleep Trophy season marks a return to the traditional zonal format, moving away from the previous group-style structure (A, B, C, D). All matches, including the final, will be hosted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru. Meanwhile, fans can catch all the live action on Sports18 for TV broadcast. JioCinema/Hotstar will offer free live streaming via mobile and web platforms.