Follow UsIndia wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has been appointed the skipper of the solid Central Zone team that would participate in the Duleep Trophy this year.
The Central Zone squad also includes India spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who would be coming in with a point to prove after he didn’t get to play a single Test in England despite being fit and available for selection. He would be the lead spinner in an attack that includes three other quality spinners in Saransh Jain, who bowls off-spin and Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey, who bowl left-arm off spin.
In the pace department, Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmed will come in with the experience of playing for India, with Khaleel also having represented Essex in the County Championship. Meanwhile, Chahar would be making his return from a long injury hiatus.
Apart from Jurel, the batting order includes the highest run scorer from the Ranji Trophy last season, Yash Rathod, Rajat Patidar (who’s also the vice-captain of the side), Danish Malewar (Vidharbha opener who scored a century in the Ranji Trophy final), and the UP skipper Aryan Juyal. Chhattisgarh’s Sanchit Desai is also a part of it.
The squad was selected by a zonal selection committee that comprised one selector from each state of the zone, as the Duleep Trophy is back being held in the Zonal format this year.
Dhruv Jurel (c & wk), Rajat Patidar (vc), Aryan Juyal, Danish Malewar, Sanchit Desai, Kuldeep Yadav, Aditya Thakare, Deepak Chahar, Saransh Jain, Ayush Pandey, Shubham Sharma, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed
Standbys: Madhav Kaushik, Yash Thakur, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mahipal Lomror, Kuldeep Sen, Upendra Yadav