Hyderabad’s rising star Tilak Varma has been named captain of the South Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025, marking a significant step in his promising career.
Tilak Varma Takes the Helm
The 22-year-old southpaw from Hyderabad will lead the South Zone squad in the 2025-26 domestic season’s opening Duleep Trophy tournament, set for late August. His appointment as skipper was confirmed during a recent selectors’ meeting held in Pondicherry.
This leadership role comes despite Varma’s absence from Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy last season due to international commitments. However, he has been in brilliant scoring form during his maiden County stint with Hampshire.
Varma notably scored a century on his debut against Essex, and continued his strong performance with scores of 56, 47, and another hundred in his subsequent four innings. His current form undoubtedly played a key role in his selection as captain.
Duleep Trophy Returns to Zonal Format
The Duleep Trophy is reverting to its traditional structure for the upcoming season. Unlike last year, when four handpicked squads competed, the tournament will now feature the six established zonal teams.
This change is expected to reinvigorate regional rivalries and provide more opportunities for players to represent their respective zones, fostering a deeper connection to domestic cricket.
Key Players Bolstering South Zone
Joining Tilak Varma in a leadership capacity is Kerala batter Mohammed Azharuddeen, who has been named vice-captain. Azharuddeen recently shone with a career-best score of 177 in the Ranji semi-final.
The squad also includes four players from Kerala’s historic maiden Ranji Trophy final appearance: batter Salman Nizar and pacers Basil NP and Nidheesh MD. Hyderabad opener Tanmay Agarwal, who amassed an impressive 934 runs last Ranji season, is another significant inclusion.
Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper N Jagadeesan, fresh from earning his maiden India call-up, will also feature. The team is further strengthened by the presence of experienced internationals Devdutt Padikkal and R Sai Kishore, promising a strong South Zone lineup.
Karnataka’s R Smaran, a top scorer in the previous Ranji season with 516 runs, has been named as a standby player.
Tournament Schedule Unveiled
The Duleep Trophy season will commence on August 28 with two quarter-final fixtures at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. North Zone will face East Zone, while Central Zone will take on North East Zone.
South Zone will enter the competition in the semi-finals, facing the winner of the North Zone-East Zone quarter-final. West Zone will play the winner of the Central Zone-North East Zone match, with both semi-finals scheduled to begin on September 4.
South Zone Duleep Trophy 2025 Squad:
- Tilak Varma (c) (Hyderabad)
- Mohammed Azharuddeen (vc) (Kerala)
- Tanmay Agarwal (Hyderabad)
- Devdutt Padikkal (Karnataka)
- Mohit Kale (Pondicherry)
- Salman Nizar (Kerala)
- Narayan Jagadeesan (Tamil Nadu)
- Tripurana Vijay (Andhra)
- R Sai Kishore (Tamil Nadu)
- Tanay Thyagarajan (Hyderabad)
- Vijaykumar Vyshak (Karnataka)
- Nidheesh MD (Kerala)
- Ricky Bhui (Andhra)
- Basil NP (Kerala)
- Gurjapneet Singh (Tamil Nadu)
- Snehal Kauthankar (Goa)
Stand-by players: Mohit Redkar (Goa), R Smaran (Karnataka), Ankit Sharma (Pondicherry), Edhen Apple Tom (Kerala), Andre Siddarth (Tamil Nadu), Shaikh Rasheed (Andhra).
