Rajat Patidar Named Central Zone Team Captain: The Central Zone team for the Duleep Trophy 2026-27 has been announced. Star batsman Rajat Patidar has once again been given the captaincy of the team, while Indian finisher Rinku Singh has been made the vice-captain. The tournament is going to start from August 28. Being the champions of the last season, Central Zone has got a direct place in the semi-finals. The team will start its campaign from August 30 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Expressed confidence in Patidar again
Rajat Patidar led Central Zone to the Duleep Trophy title after 10 years last season. He top-scored with 382 runs in the tournament and also scored a brilliant century in the final against South Zone in Bengaluru. Under his leadership, the team delivered a memorable performance, which has prompted the selectors to renew their faith in him.
Rinku Singh got a big responsibility
Uttar Pradesh batsman Rinku Singh, who missed out on the Central Zone squad last season, has returned to the team and been appointed vice-captain. The team management has given him a significant responsibility by including him in the leadership team.
Saransh Jain and Aman Mokhade are also in the team
Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain, who recently received his first-time selection in the Indian Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour, has also been included in the Central Zone squad. The India-Sri Lanka Test series ends on August 27th, so he is expected to be available until the semi-finals, which begin on August 30th.
Vidarbha opener Aman Mokhade has also been included in the team. He performed brilliantly in the last Ranji Trophy season, scoring 760 runs in 11 innings. He recently played an unofficial Test for the India A team during the Sri Lanka tour, scoring 49 runs. Vidarbha’s Yash Rathod has also been included in the squad.
Combination of experienced and new players
Yash Thakur, Nachiket Bhute, and Madhya Pradesh fast bowling all-rounder Arshad Khan will handle the fast bowling duties. India’s left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey has been named to lead the spin department. The selectors have once again reposed their faith in leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari.
26-year-old Zeeshan Ansari recently returned to first-class cricket after six years. Despite limited red-ball experience, he was named a net bowler during the India-A Afghanistan Test match in June. He then toured Sri Lanka with the India A team, where he went wicketless in the second unofficial Test.
Central Zone team
Rajat Patidar (Captain), Rinku Singh (Vice-Captain), Aryan Juyal (Wicketkeeper), Saransh Jain, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Chandela, Zeeshan Ansari, Aryan Pandey, Arshad Khan, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Kunal Singh Rathod (Wicketkeeper), Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute.
Standby and support staff
Standby players: Amandeep Khare, Mayank Mishra, Saurabh Rawat, Bhargav Merai, Kunal Yadav and Kumar Kartikey.
Support staff: Nikhil Doru (head coach), Deshraj Chauhan (physio), Chandrashekhar Rao (video analyst), Mohit Kumar (masseur), Manish Jha (assistant coach), Mayank Agarwal (trainer) and Jufri Zakaria (manager).