- Central Zone starts title defense August 30 in Bengaluru.
Rajat Patidar will continue as Central Zone captain for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy after leading the side to the title last season. Rinku Singh has been named vice-captain as the defending champions confirmed a balanced squad featuring several in-form domestic performers, including newly selected India Test player Saransh Jain. Central Zone will begin their title defence in the semi-finals on August 30 in Bengaluru.
Patidar Retains Captaincy, Rinku Named Deputy
Patidar remains at the helm after a memorable Duleep Trophy campaign last season. He guided Central Zone to the title and finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 382 runs, including a century in the final against South Zone.
Rinku Singh has been appointed vice-captain, strengthening an experienced batting group that combines established performers with emerging domestic talent.
The squad also includes Vidarbha opener Aman Mokhade, who impressed during the previous Ranji Trophy season by scoring 760 runs in 11 innings. His recent India A tour of Sri Lanka further strengthened his credentials.
Yash Rathod has retained his place after another productive domestic season, while Aryan Juyal and Kunal Singh Rathod will share wicketkeeping duties.
Fresh from earning his maiden India Test call-up for the Sri Lanka series, Saransh Jain has also been included. The all-rounder adds depth with both bat and off-spin and is expected to play an important role during the tournament.
Balanced Attack As Central Zone Eye Successful Title Defence
The pace attack will be led by Vidarbha fast bowlers Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute, with Arshad Khan providing another seam-bowling option.
Harsh Dubey will spearhead the spin department after another impressive domestic campaign. Wrist-spinner Zeeshan Ansari also keeps his place after returning to first-class cricket and featuring for India A in Sri Lanka.
Having received a direct semi-final entry as defending champions, Central Zone require only two victories to retain the title.
The combination of experienced leaders such as Patidar and Rinku alongside emerging players like Mokhade, Dubey and Saransh gives the side strong balance across departments.
The selectors have largely retained the core group that delivered success last season while rewarding consistent domestic performances. That continuity could prove valuable as Central Zone attempt to defend their crown.
The tournament begins later this month at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where Central Zone will start their campaign on August 30.
Central Zone Duleep Trophy 2026 squad
Rajat Patidar (captain), Rinku Singh (vice-captain), Aryan Juyal (wk), Saransh Jain, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Chandela, Zeeshan Ansari, Aryan Pandey, Arshad Khan, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Kunal Singh Rathod (wk), Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute.
Stand-by players: Amandeep Khare, Mayank Mishra, Saurabh Rawat, Bhargav Merai, Kunal Yadav and Kumar Kartikeya.
Support staff: Nikhil Doru (Head Coach), Deshraj Chouhan (Physio), Chandrashekhar Rao (VA), Mohit Kumar (Masseur), Manish Jha (Assistant Coach), Mayank Agrawal (Trainer), Zuffri Zakeria (Manager).
