Shardul Thakur to Captain West Zone in Duleep Trophy; Rahane, Pujara Left Out

Thakur will lead the 15-member squad. © Getty

The West Zone Selection Committee has announced Shardul Thakur as the captain of the 15-member West Zone squad for the eagerly anticipated Duleep Trophy matches. The announcement follows a selection meeting held at the MCA's Sharad Pawar Indoor Cricket Academy in BKC on Friday, August 1. The selected team comprises a strong contingent of seven players from Mumbai, four from Gujarat, and two each from Maharashtra and Saurashtra, showcasing the depth of talent within the zone.

Alongside Thakur, prominent Mumbai players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, and Sarfaraz Khan have secured their places in the squad. Ruturaj Gaikwad from Maharashtra has also been included. Notably absent from the roster are experienced Indian players Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara.

The selection committee, led by Sanjay Patil of the Mumbai Cricket Association, has also named seven standby players: Mahesh Pithiya, Shivalik Sharma, Mukesh Chaudhary, Siddharth Desai, Chintan Gaja, Musheer Khan, and Urvil Patel.

The Duleep Trophy tournament is set to commence on August 28 with the two quarterfinals. West Zone, having earned a direct entry into the semifinal, will begin their campaign on September 4. The final match is scheduled to be played from September 11. All matches will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence ground in Bengaluru.

The complete West Zone squad is as follows:

West Zone Squad: Shardul Thakur (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Aarya Desai, Harvik Desai, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Jaymeet Patel, Manan Hingrajia, Saurabh Nawale, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Dharmendra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Arzan Nagwaswala