Jay Gohil steps up for West Zone after Sarfaraz Khan's India call-up
Jay Gohil steps up for West Zone after Sarfaraz Khan's India call-up
Saurashtra's No. 3 batter Jay Gohil has earned his place in the West Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy, replacing Sarfaraz Khan who was elevated to India's Test squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
The 25-year-old Gohil, who was initially on the standbys list, has proven himself to be a consistent performer in domestic cricket. In the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, Gohil accumulated 523 runs across six matches at an impressive average of 58.11, including one hundred and four fifties for Saurashtra.
Over his first-class career, Gohil has amassed 860 runs in 12 matches at an average of 47.77, with two hundreds and four fifties to his credit. The young batter from Bhavnagar made his first-class debut for Saurashtra against Assam in December 2022 and was part of the Kathiawar side's Ranji Trophy winning campaign during the 2022-23 season.
"Yes, we've picked Gohil as Sarfaraz's replacement, as he was in the standbys and was consistent in the Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra this season," West Zone and Mumbai chief selector Rajesh Pawar told Times of India. "We are confident he will make the most of this opportunity."
West Zone Squad Details
Gohil will join fellow Saurashtra representative Harvik Desai, a promising wicketkeeper-batter, in the West Zone squad. The team will be captained by Maharashtra's Ruturaj Gaikwad and will include several other notable players including Prithvi Shaw, off-spinner Tanush Kotian, Musheer Khan, and speedsters Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande.
Mumbai's prolific left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Shams Mulani will serve as vice-captain. Former Mumbai allrounder Amit Dani has been named as the team's head coach.
Sarfaraz Khan's India Selection
Khan's selection to the Indian Test squad comes after he was called up to replace the injured Sai Sudharshan for the Test series against Sri Lanka starting on August 15 in Galle. Sudharshan suffered a toe injury during the India A tour last month and is currently recovering at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Tournament Schedule
West Zone will begin their Duleep Trophy campaign on August 23 at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, facing North Zone in their opening match.