Patidar to Lead Central Zone in Season-Opening First-Class Tournament

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's title-winning captain Rajat Patidar has been appointed captain of the Central Zone squad for the 2026 Duleep Trophy, with Rinku Singh named as his vice-captain for the prestigious domestic tournament.

The leadership duo brings together two of Central Zone's most experienced batters as they prepare for the season-opening first-class competition, scheduled to be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru from August 23 to September 10.

Patidar's Captaincy Credentials

Patidar, who captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to back-to-back IPL titles, will now look to guide Central Zone in the tournament that marks the beginning of India's domestic red-ball season. Rinku Singh will serve as his deputy, bringing his own wealth of experience to the leadership group.

Saransh Jain May Miss Opening Matches

Among the notable inclusions in the squad is off-spinning all-rounder Saransh Jain, who is also part of India's Test squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. However, Jain is expected to miss at least the opening phase of the Duleep Trophy as he remains with the national team.

With Washington Sundar ruled out of the first Test, Jain is among the leading contenders to make his Test debut in the series opener at Galle, beginning on August 15. The second Test is scheduled to start in Colombo on August 23, the same day the Duleep Trophy gets underway.

Central Zone Squad Composition

Central Zone have assembled a balanced squad featuring several established domestic performers and exciting young talents. The batting unit includes Aryan Juyal, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Chandela, Yash Rathod and Ayush Pandey, while the all-round department is strengthened by Harsh Dubey, Arshad Khan and Saransh Jain.

The bowling attack features Zeeshan Ansari, Aryan Pandey, Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute, while Aryan Juyal and Kunal Singh Rathod have been named as the wicketkeeping options.

Complete Central Zone Squad

Playing Squad: Rajat Patidar (captain), Rinku Singh (vice-captain), Aryan Juyal (wicketkeeper), Saransh Jain, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Chandela, Zeeshan Ansari, Aryan Pandey, Arshad Khan, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Kunal Singh Rathod (wk), Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute.

Stand-by Players: Amandeep Khare, Mayank Mishra, Saurabh Rawat, Bhargav Merai, Kunal Yadav and Kumar Kartikeya.

The Duleep Trophy continues in its zonal format and is expected to feature several Indian internationals and emerging talents from across the country, setting the stage for India's domestic cricket season.