Tilak Varma has been named captain of the South Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The tournament will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru from August 23 to September 10. Andhra batter Ricky Bhui will serve as the vice-captain. MN Vikram Varma, an experienced Level 2 coach from Andhra, has been appointed as the head coach.
Tilak was recently part of the India T20I team that beat Zimbabwe 3-0. His selection as captain reflects his growing stature in Indian cricket. The selection committee meeting was convened by Andhra Cricket Association secretary Sana Satish Babu. Former Andhra Ranji Trophy player RV Chandramouli Prasad chaired the panel.
The 15-member squad features veteran batter Karun Nair alongside promising young players. Karnataka’s R Smaran, who was the leading run-getter in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy with 950 runs, is included. Hyderabad’s K Himateja also finds a place in the squad.
Shaik Rasheed, who was part of the India A team that beat Sri Lanka A 1-0, is also in the team. Goa batter Abhinav Tejrana has been selected as well. Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan, who was also on the India A tour to Sri Lanka, will handle wicketkeeping duties.
The spin department will be led by left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal. The pace bowling options include K Sai Teja, Tripurana Vijay, Vidvath Kaverappa, and M D Nideesh. The squad also includes H Aman Khan.
South Zone have received a direct entry into the semifinals. They reached the final in the previous edition but lost to eventual champions Central Zone. They will open their campaign on August 30 at the BCCI COE Ground 2. They will face the winner of Quarterfinal 2. The team will look to go one step further this time and win the title.
Who Is Ricky Bhui? Meet South Zone Vice-Captain for the 2026 Duleep Trophy
Ricky Bhui is an Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional leg spinner. He scored an unbeaten hundred on his List A debut and also scored an unbeaten hundred on his Twenty20 debut.
He currently plays for Andhra in domestic cricket and Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. In December 2015, he was named in India’s squad for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He is the youngest player to feature in the tournament so far. He has also captained the India U17 side for a Triangular series.
In January 2018, he was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL auction. He was the only player from the Andhra Pradesh Ranji team to make the cut for IPL 2018. He studied at Visakha Valley School in Visakhapatnam after graduation in 2020. He was bought by Delhi Capitals for 20 lakhs as an uncapped wicket-keeper in the 2024 IPL auction.
He was the leading run-scorer for Andhra in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy with 775 runs in eight matches. In August 2019, he was named in the India Blue team’s squad for the 2019-20 Duleep Trophy. He was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the 2020 IPL auction.
South Zone Look to Go One Better After Last Year’s Duleep Trophy Final Defeat
Central Zone won the Duleep Trophy after 11 years last year. They defeated South Zone by six wickets in the final held in Bengaluru. The match was closely contested and went down to the final day.
South Zone had set a modest target of 65 runs for Central Zone to chase. The target came after South Zone fought hard in their second innings. They scored 426 runs, which delayed Central’s victory.
However, Akshay Wadkar and first-innings centurion Yash Rathod steadied the innings. They guided Central to victory without further damage. Central reached the target at 66 for four in 20.3 overs.
Rajat Patidar, who also led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to an IPL title earlier this year, was delighted with the win. He praised his players for their character throughout the tournament. He also appreciated Danish Malewar and Yash Rathod for their batting performances.
South Zone captain Mohammed Azharuddeen said reaching the final would motivate his team for the long domestic season. He acknowledged that Central’s spinners bowled well. He admitted his team made some poor decisions with the bat. But he was happy that they fought hard in the second innings and did not give up easily.
FAQs
Q. Who will captain South Zone in the Duleep Trophy?
A. Tilak Varma will captain South Zone.
Q. Who is the vice-captain of South Zone?
A. Ricky Bhui is the vice-captain.
Q. Where will the 2026 Duleep Trophy be played?
A. It will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Q. When will South Zone play their first match?
A. South Zone will begin their campaign on August 30.
Q. Which team did South Zone lose to in the previous Duleep Trophy final?
A. South Zone lost to Central Zone in the final.
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