Rajat Patidar Retained as Central Zone Captain for Duleep Trophy Defence

New Delhi, Aug 2026 : India batter Rajat Patidar has been retained as captain of the Central Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, with the tournament set to begin on August 23 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Left-handed batter Rinku Singh has been appointed vice-captain as Central Zone look to defend their title.

Central Zone, who won their seventh Duleep Trophy crown last season after defeating South Zone by six wickets in the final in Bengaluru, have named a strong 15-member squad for their title defence.

Patidar, who emerged as the leading run-scorer in the previous edition and has twice captained IPL title-winning teams, will spearhead the batting department. He will be supported by Rinku Singh, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Chandela, Ayush Pandey, Aryan Juyal and Yash Rathod.

Rathod was one of the standout performers in last year’s final, producing a magnificent 194 that played a key role in Central Zone’s championship triumph. Aryan Juyal and Kunal Singh Rathod have been included as wicketkeeping options.

The bowling attack features a combination of pace and spin. Yash Thakur, Arshad Khan, Aryan Pandey and Nachiket Bhute form the seam-bowling contingent, while off-spinner Saransh Jain will lead the spin attack.

Jain was the leading wicket-taker of last year’s Duleep Trophy, claiming 16 wickets, and his presence could prove crucial to Central Zone’s hopes of retaining the championship. Left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey and leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari provide further variety to the attack.

Jain is currently part of India’s squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka. However, he has been retained in the Central Zone squad with the possibility that he could be available for the team’s semifinal fixture, scheduled from August 30 to September 2, depending on his international commitments.

The selection committee has also announced a six-member standby list to provide cover in case of injuries or other withdrawals. The reserve group comprises Amandeep Khare, Mayank Mishra, Saurabh Rawat, Bhargav Merai, Kunal Yadav and Kumar Kartikeya.

Former Rajasthan player Nikhil Doru has been appointed head coach of the Central Zone side, with Manish Jha serving as assistant coach. Zuffri Zakeria will be the team manager, while Chandrashekhar Rao has been named video analyst.

The support staff also includes physiotherapist Deshraj Chouhan, trainer Mayank Agarwal and masseur Mohit Kumar.

With Patidar continuing as captain and several key performers from last season returning to the squad, Central Zone will enter the tournament as one of the leading contenders. The combination of experienced leadership, promising young batters and a varied bowling attack gives the defending champions a strong platform as they begin their campaign for an eighth Duleep Trophy title.

Central Zone Squad

Rajat Patidar (Captain), Rinku Singh (Vice-Captain), Aryan Juyal (WK), 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.

Standby: Amandeep Khare, Mayank Mishra, Saurabh Rawat, Bhargav Merai, Kunal Yadav and Kumar Kartikeya.