Will South Zone and Central Zone Shine in the Duleep Trophy Final?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Final match between South Zone and Central Zone.
- Key players missing due to international commitments.
- New talent on display for both teams.
- Match location is BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1.
- Live broadcast available on Star Sports Khel.
Bengaluru, Sep 10 (NationPress) With numerous renowned players unavailable due to Asia Cup commitments or joining the India A squad for the red-ball series against Australia A, the upcoming final between South Zone and Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 on Thursday promises to be a captivating encounter for the coveted Duleep Trophy.
The absence of star players creates a unique atmosphere, with both teams likely to showcase fresh line-ups. Central Zone has welcomed Nachiket Bhute, Ajay Singh Kukna, and others due to the departure of Yash Thakur, Harsh Dubey, Khaleel Ahmed, and Manav Suthar to the India A team.
On the other hand, South Zone has made adjustments as well, bringing in Smaran Ravichandran and C Andre Siddarth to replace Devdutt Padikkal and N Jagadeesan, who are also joining the India A ranks. Central Zone can take solace in their batting prowess, with captain Rajat Patidar, Danish Malewar, and Shubham Sharma among the tournament's top four run-scorers. However, they will lean heavily on off-spinner Saransh Jain and seamer Deepak Chahar to tackle the bowling challenges.
Leading South Zone is Mohammed Azharuddeen, who will take on the dual responsibility of captain and wicketkeeper in Jagadeesan's absence. He aims to deliver a significant performance alongside Tanmay Agarwal and Ricky Bhui.
Unlike their opponents, South Zone's bowling unit, headed by Gurjapneet Singh, remains largely intact, which could provide them with a strategic advantage. If the weather permits, a thrilling high-scoring clash is anticipated in the Duleep Trophy final.
When: Thursday, September 10, 9:30 am IST
Where: BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1, Bengaluru
Where to watch: Star Sports Khel for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming
Squads
Central Zone: Rajat Patidar (c), Ayush Pandey, Danish Malewar, Shubham Sharma, Sanchit Desai, Yash Rathod, Nachiket Bhute, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Aditya Thakare, Upendra Yadav (wk), Ajay Singh Kukna, Akshay Wadkar (wk), Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, and Saransh Jain
South Zone: Azharuddin (Captain & Wicketkeeper), Ricky Bhui (Vice-Captain), Smaran Ravichandran, Kale M, Sheikh Rasheed, Tanmay Agarwal, Salman Nizar, Andrew Siddarth, Tanay Thyagarajan, Gurjapneet Singh, Nidheesh, Kaushik V, Ankit Sharma, T Vijay, and Basil NP