Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Devdutt Padikkal and Tilak Varma are set to build on their recent red-ball exploits as East Zone square up against South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai from Sunday. Mohammed Siraj, on the other hand, will be looking to rediscover his rhythm ahead of a busy international itinerary.
Padikkal will enter the final as the man who made the most of his surprise call-up to the Test squad for the recent series against Sri Lanka. The Karnataka batter was called in as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan and responded by scoring two centuries in as many Tests to finish as the Player of the Series. He will now look to carry that rich form into the Duleep Trophy final and bolster his case for an extended stint at No. 3.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Tilak Eye Red-Ball Breakthrough in Duleep Trophy
A good run could also help South Zone recapture the Duleep Trophy title, but for Padikkal it's another chance to prove himself as a reliable option in India's Test middle order.
Tilak Varma and Sooryavanshi are not currently in the red-ball plans, but the T20I vice-captain did enough in South Zone's semifinal against North Zone in Bengaluru to suggest that another big knock for India would not go unnoticed.
The left-hander has also made it clear that he wants to play for India in the traditional format. Another big contribution in the final would further his ambitions.
Sooryavanshi struck an equally impressive blow for East Zone in their semifinal against Central Zone. The teenager smashed 92 and 40, and showed a more complete game than his usual eye-catching six-hitting style that has seen him shoot up the white-ball rankings.
Another big knock in the final would underline his progress as a potential all-format batter and add another major milestone to his burgeoning career.
Mohammed Siraj will be hoping to rediscover his rhythm with a good run in the Duleep Trophy final after an underwhelming Test series against Sri Lanka.
The veteran pacer could be in contention for a place in South Zone's XI should Vidwath Kaverappa be unavailable. Siraj failed to find his rhythm during the two-Test series, rarely touching the 135 kmph mark and regularly bowling short of his desired pace.
Gill urged his teammate to recapture his best, having struggled to reach his optimum heights in the previous international fixtures.
Ishan Kishan will lead East Zone, looking to make every opportunity count in the final as he prepares for the busy T20I series against Afghanistan that comes next.
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KL Rahul, Shami Add Experience to East Zone Challenge
KL Rahul is another batsman who will hope to gain valuable match practice in the run-up to the three-match Test series against New Zealand. However, the Karnataka star was slow to arrive in Bengaluru ahead of the final, arriving less than 24 hours before the game.
Rahul might have to contend with a strong attack spearheaded by Mohammad Shami, Mukesh Kumar and Anukul Roy. The Chennai surface has traditionally been good to bowlers.
Shami will be a big attraction as a bowler with the potential to play in his 100th first-class match. Crossing the landmark will be a significant achievement for a fast bowler in an age where the international and franchise calendars have become increasingly congested.
The Bengal paceman has recorded 903 wickets in across his 199 first-class, List A and T20 appearances, but is currently not in the reckoning of the national selectors. His last appearance for India came in the Champions Trophy final in March 2025.
Nevertheless, the 36-year-old is hoping to prove that he still has a lot to offer. Shami has regularly troubled bowlers with his hostile spells in domestic cricket, and a good run in the Duleep Trophy final would be ideal to help his cause with the national selectors.
With a plethora of players aiming to achieve different aims, the five-day final should provide an attractive contest between two strong sides. While the holy grail for both South Zone and East Zone is the Duleep Trophy, the exploits of Sooryavanshi, Padikkal, Tilak, Siraj, Rahul and Shami could be of particular interest given the individual ambitions for each cricketer's national career.
South Zone Squad
Tilak Varma (Captain), Ricky Bhui (Vice-captain & Wicketkeeper), SK Rasheed, K Sai Teja, T Vijay, Abhinav Tejrana, K Himateja, T Thyagarajan, R Smaran, Karun Nair, Shreyas Gopal, Vidwath Kaverappa, MD Nidheesh, N Jagadesan, Aman Khan, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Siraj.
East Zone Squad
Ishan Kishan (Captain & Wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Vice-captain), Danish Das, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra, Shikhar Mohan, Anukul Roy, Virat Singh, Subhranshu Senapati, Abhijit Sarkar.