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Padikkal, Siraj Join South Zone for Duleep Trophy Final
The Duleep Trophy final will be played between South Zone and East Zone in Chennai.
Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj have been added to South Zone.
They are being kept ready for Test cricket.
Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan may also play.
These players are expected to join India for a T20I series against Afghanistan soon afterward.
The final is scheduled to finish on September 10, and the Afghanistan series starts on September 13.
Padikkal has recently played very well for India against Sri Lanka.
He scored 328 runs and won the Player-of-the-Series award.
Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj have joined South Zone for the Duleep Trophy 2026 final against East Zone in Chennai.
Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan are expected to play before India’s Afghanistan T20I series.
The final begins Sunday and is scheduled to end on September 10, with the Afghanistan series starting on September 13.
Padikkal scored 328 runs, including two centuries, during India’s recent Test tour of Sri Lanka.
Padikkal’s performances earned him the Player-of-the-Series award, while the replacements for him and Siraj remain unclear.
- Who
- Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Siraj, South Zone, East Zone, Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan.
- What
- Padikkal and Siraj have been added to South Zone’s squad for the Duleep Trophy final, with three India-bound players also expected to feature.
- Where
- Chennai, India.
- When
- The final begins Sunday and is scheduled to end on September 10; India’s Afghanistan T20I series begins September 13.
- Why
- Padikkal and Siraj were added as part of the team management’s plan to keep Test players match-ready.
Key facts
- Match
- Duleep Trophy 2026 final: South Zone vs East Zone
- Venue
- Chennai
- Final schedule
- Begins Sunday and is scheduled to end on September 10
- Afghanistan series
- India’s three-match T20I series begins September 13
- Padikkal’s recent record
- 328 runs in three innings on India’s Test tour of Sri Lanka
- Padikkal’s award
- Player-of-the-Series
- Squad uncertainty
- The two players Padikkal and Siraj will replace have not been identified
Quotes
Tilak Varma
South Zone captain and India T20I player
“I would love to play the final. This match has just finished, but I think the Afghanistan game is on the 13th. I am ready to play the final. After that we have two days of break in between, and if I report on the 11th also I can practise for a day and from there I can go and play the match.”
rediff.com
Sources
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