Arshdeep Singh returns to red-ball fold with North Zone selection

India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was on Monday named in the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy, as the selectors handed the captaincy of the 15-member team to Jammu and Kashmir wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan.

Arshdeep, a regular in India's white-ball set-up, was part of the Test squad during the 2025 tour of England but did not make his Test debut because of injury and team combination issues. His inclusion in the North Zone squad gives him another opportunity to push his red-ball credentials ahead of the new domestic season.

Six Jammu and Kashmir players rewarded after Ranji Trophy triumph

Fresh from Jammu and Kashmir's Ranji Trophy title-winning campaign, six players from the side earned places in the squad for the tournament starting on August 23. Along with captain Wadhawan, opener Qamran Iqbal, all-rounder Abdul Samad, left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq, pacer Sunil Kumar and fast bowler Yudhvir Singh were all selected.

Delhi batter Ayush Badoni was named vice-captain of the side, while Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj — another player with India Test squad experience — returned to the North Zone fold for the competition.

Veteran Paras Dogra overlooked, Auqib Nabi on national duty

Veteran Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra, 41, was not picked, with the Duleep Trophy seen as a platform for players looking to push for national selection. Pacer Auqib Nabi was unavailable for selection as he is on national duty.

Delhi had the second-highest representation in the squad after Jammu and Kashmir. Opener Sanat Sangwan, former captain Yash Dhull, middle-order batter Ayush Doseja and Badoni were all included. India A regular Nishant Sindhu, along with Abid Mushtaq and Arjun Sharma, will provide the spin and all-round options for the Wadhawan-led side.

North Zone squad

Kanhaiya Wadhawan (Captain), Ayush Badoni (Vice-Captain), Sanat Sangwan, Qamran Iqbal, Yash Dhull, Ayush Doseja, Abdul Samad, Nishant Sindhu, Arjun Sharma, Abid Mushtaq, Arshdeep Singh, Sunil Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, Yudhvir Singh, Nikhil Kashyap.