Duleep Trophy Final: Star-studded battle between South Zone and West Zone | Cricket News – Times of India

The Duleep Trophy final will witness a clash between South Zone and West Zone, where players from both the sides will aim to bridge the gap between their collective goal of winning the title and their individual aspirations.
From a team perspective, West Zone has a proud record to defend, having reached 34 Duleep Trophy finals and emerging victorious in 19 of them. They stand as the most successful team in the tournament, and South Zone is determined to end their dominance by securing their 14th title.
South Zone also seek redemption after their defeat to Ajinkya Rahane-led West Zone by 294 runs in last year’s Duleep Trophy final. This serves as motivation for the team to prove their mettle and emerge triumphant this time.
In addition to team objectives, the Duleep Trophy presents an opportunity for players to achieve personal milestones.
Cheteshwar Pujara exemplifies this with his remarkable journey. Having been dropped from the India squad for the West Indies tour, Pujara responded by delivering a solid performance of 133 runs for West Zone in the semifinal against Central Zone, propelling his team into the title clash.
Mayank Agarwal, the vice-captain of South Zone, along with Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw, arrive for this match on the back of impressive performances in the previous Ranji season. Mayank displayed consistency with two fifties in the quarterfinals against North Zone, while Prithvi and Sarfaraz will be eager to make a stronger impact in the final.
Hanuma Vihari and Washington Sundar, on the other hand, are motivated to deliver noteworthy performances for different reasons. Vihari last represented India in 2022, while Washington featured in the white-ball series against Sri Lanka earlier this year. Injuries and competition for spots have hindered their progress in Test cricket, and they now aim to showcase their abilities and make a case for their return to international cricket.
Tilak Varma, recently included in India’s T20I squad to face West Indies, aims to establish his red-ball credentials as he aspires to become an all-format player.
Amidst the players who have already made headlines, there are others such as B Sai Sudarshan, R Sai Kishore, Vysakh Vijayakumar and Vidwath Kaverappa who yearn to make their mark in the longer format and gain recognition.
The battle among these talented players over the course of the next five days promises to be an intense spectacle, captivating fans and enthusiasts alike.

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SQUADS
South Zone: Hanuma Vihari (captain), Mayank Agarwal (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Ricky Bhui (wk), R Samarth, Washington Sundar, Sachin Baby, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Sai Kishore, V Kaverappa, V Vyshak, KV Sasikanth, Darshan Misal, Tilak Varma
West Zone: Priyank Panchal (captain), Cheteshwar Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav, Harvik Desai (wk), Prithvi Shaw, Het Patel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Arpit Vasavada, Atit Seth, Shams Mulani, Kedar Jadhav, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Chintan Gaja, Arzan Nagwaswalla