Rajat Patidar to lead Central Zone's Duleep Trophy title defence; Rinku Singh named vice-captain

Rajat Patidar will lead Central Zone in the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy title defence, with Rinku Singh as vice-captain.

Central Zone, the defending champions, begin their campaign at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on August 30.

Saransh Jain, who received his maiden India Test call-up for the Sri Lanka tour, is included in the 15-member squad.

Vidarbha opener Aman Mokhade, who scored 760 runs in the Ranji Trophy, earned a place in the squad after an India A tour.

The squad also includes India left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, pacer Yash Thakur, and wicketkeeper options Aryan Juyal and Kunal Singh Rathod.