Duleep Trophy squad reveals Shubman Gill as captain, selecting three seamer players from England Tests for North Zone squad.
Shubman Gill, the current India Test captain, has been named to lead the North Zone squad in the upcoming 2025-26 Duleep Trophy. This will mark Gill's first time leading a team in this zonal tournament.
Gill's domestic cricket appearances have been limited, having played only one Duleep Trophy match and one Ranji Trophy match in the 2024-25 season, where he scored 4 and 102 runs respectively. Prior to becoming India’s Test captain, he had captained in just five first-class games.
However, Gill's leadership role in the Duleep Trophy comes fresh off a highly successful and lauded maiden stint as India’s Test captain. In the England Test series, he scored a record 754 runs, resulting in a 2-2 draw.
The North Zone squad for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy includes Shubman Gill (c), Ankit Kumar (vc), Shubham Khajuria, Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull, Ankit Kalsi, Mayank Dagar (all-rounder), Nishant Sindhu (all-rounder), Sahil Lotra (all-rounder), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wicketkeeper), Umar Nazir (standby player), Abid Mushtaq (standby player), Ravi Chauhan (standby player), Shubham Arora (standby wicketkeeper), Divesh Sharma (standby player), Nishunk Birla (standby player), Jaskaranvir Singh Paul (standby player), Auqib Nabi (bowler), Anshul Kamboj (bowler), Yudhvir Singh Charak (bowler), Arshdeep Singh (bowler), and Harshit Rana (bowler).
Notably, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Anshul Kamboj are India internationals who have also been picked for the North Zone squad. In addition, there are standby players to replace Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana if they are selected to represent India at the Asia Cup, with Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh's replacements being Shubham Rohilla and Harshit Rana's replacement being Gurnoor Brar.
The Duleep Trophy is returning to a zonal format this year after being in the India A/B/C/D format last season. This change will allow for a more traditional approach to the tournament.
In summary, Shubman Gill's domestic leadership experience may be limited, but he has stepped into a key zonal captaincy role for the Duleep Trophy right after establishing himself as India’s Test captain. The North Zone squad for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy is a strong one, featuring several India internationals and promising young talent.
Cricket news has recently reported that the North Zone squad for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy will be led by Shubman Gill, following his successful captaining of the Indian Test team. Despite his limited domestic cricket appearances, Gill's recent achievements in international sports have made him a promising choice for the tournament.
