Shardul Thakur will captain West Zone when the Duleep Trophy returns to its old zonal format later this month. The India all-rounder headlines a 15-strong squad that also features Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan – seven Mumbai players in all. The tournament starts on 28 August and opens the 2025-26 domestic season.
Selector Sanjay Patil said in a board release, “We wanted a mix of established internationals and men who’ve piled on runs in the Ranji set-up.” His panel, drawn from the five western state associations, felt Thakur’s “recent leadership experience and ability to contribute with bat and ball” made him the obvious choice to lead.
There is no place for Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane. Both had modest returns last season and, according to one selector, were “talked about but not picked”. That decision leaves Iyer and Sarfaraz as the senior middle-order options. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been in and out of India’s white-ball sides, adds top-order depth.
Behind the stumps, Saurashtra’s Harvik Desai and Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale get the nod. The bowling group looks balanced: left-arm seamer Arzan Nagwaswala and Mumbai quick Tushar Deshpande should share the new ball, while Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja offer spin choices.
The Duleep Trophy reverts to six teams – North, South, East, West, Central and North-East – after two seasons of an India A/B/C/D format. South Zone, champions the last time the zonal system was used in 2023-24, have already confirmed Tilak Varma as captain.
Thakur, speaking to local media, kept things simple: “Leading West is special. The goal is always the same – win games and enjoy the challenge.” He will first gather the squad in Mumbai for a short camp before they travel to Bengaluru.
Full squad
Shardul Thakur (capt, 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, Maharashtra), Shams Mulani (Mumbai), Tanush Kotian (Mumbai), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (Saurashtra), Tushar Deshpande (Mumbai), Arzan Nagwaswala (Gujarat).
