As the Duleep Trophy 2025 Final approaches, South Zone have made two key changes to their squad ahead of their high-stakes encounter against Central Zone, scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 11. The match will be played at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru.
Andre Siddarth and Smaran Ravichandran Get Duleep Trophy Call-Up
South Zone have brought in young Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Andre Siddarth and Karnataka’s in-form batter Smaran Ravichandran. Both players have been rewarded for their recent performances, with this being Siddarth’s maiden call-up to the Duleep Trophy squad.
Smaran, on the other hand, has already made a strong impression in the domestic circuit, averaging 64.50 in his first seven first-class matches. These additions come as replacements for Narayan Jagadeesan and Devdutt Padikkal, who have been selected for the India ‘A’ squad for the two upcoming unofficial Tests against Australia ‘A’.
The first of those matches begins on September 16 in Lucknow, just one day after the Duleep Trophy Final concludes.
Ricky Bhui Named Vice-Captain; Azharuddeen to Lead
Kerala’s Mohammed Azharuddeen will continue to lead the South Zone squad in the final, while Ricky Bhui has been appointed as the vice-captain. The team reached the final after gaining a 175-run first innings lead over North Zone, with Jagadeesan starring with scores of 197 and 52 not out, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Central Zone, South Zone’s opponents in the final, also pulled off an impressive performance to get here. Despite conceding 438 runs in the first innings to West Zone, they secured a spot in the final by taking a 162-run first innings lead.
South Zone Squad for Duleep Trophy 2025 Final
- Mohammed Azharuddeen (Captain & Wicketkeeper)
- Ricky Bhui (Vice-Captain)
- Smaran Ravichandran
- Kale M
- Sheikh Rasheed
- Tanmay Agarwal
- Salman Nizar
- Andre Siddarth
- Tanay Thyagarajan
- Gurjabneet Singh
- Nidheesh
- Kaushik V
- Ankit Sharma
- T Vijay
- Basil NP
Stand-by Players:
- Mohit Redkar (Goa)
- Snehal Kautankar (Goa)
- Eden Apple Tom (Kerala)
- Ajay Rohera (Pondicherry)
- G Anikeeth Reddy (Hyderabad)
South Zone will look to clinch the title with a blend of youth and experience. All eyes will be on the newcomers as they aim to make a mark in one of India’s most prestigious domestic tournaments.
