India batter Tilak Varma will lead South Zone in the 2025-26 domestic season-opening Duleep Trophy starting August 28 in Bengaluru.
The 15-member squad comprises four members from the Kerala squad that finished runners-up in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy: wicketkeeper Mohammed Azharuddeen, who is also vice-captain, batter Salman Nizar, and fast bowlers MD Nidheesh and Nedumankuzhy Basil.
Devdutt Padikkal, who missed the last stage of IPL 2025 owing to a hamstring injury, has returned to full fitness and is one of two Karnataka players in the squad, alongside seamer Vijaykumar Vyshak.
None of the current Test players - B Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna - have been picked in the team that will play its first game (the semi-finals) on September 4, potentially a sign that they could be in the fray for the T20 Asia Cup that will be played in the UAE from September 9.
N Jagadeesan, who is set to join the India Test squad ahead of the fifth and final Test as a back-up to Dhruv Jurel following Rishabh Pant's injury, is likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper in the South Zone squad. Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore and seamer Gurjapneet Singh are the other two players from Tamil Nadu to make the cut.
Tilak didn't feature in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season because of international commitments, but has been in fine form for Hampshire in the ongoing County Championship, racking up scores of 100, 56, 47 and 112 in four innings so far. His Hyderabad team-mate Tanmay Agarwal, the third-highest run-getter in the last Ranji season (934 runs at 77.83), is also in the mix.
The Duleep Trophy has reverted to its traditional format of a zonal contest after a season where four teams - A, B, C and D - comprising players in the Test fray were picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led senior men's selection committee. Teams for this year's tournament will be picked by zonal selection committees, comprising one member from each of the state sides from the zone.
L Balaji, the former India seamer, has been named head coach of the squad.
South Zone squad: Tilak Varma (capt), Mohammed Azharuddeen (vice-capt, wk), Tanmay Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohit Kale, Salman Nizar, N Jagadeesan (wk), T Vijay, R Sai Kishore, Tanay Thyagarajan, Vyshak Vijaykumar, MD Nidheesh, Ricky Bhui, Basil NP, Gurjapneet Singh, Snehal Kauthankar.
Stand-bys: Mohit Redkar, R Smaran, Ankit Sharma, Eden Apple Tom, Andre Siddarth, Shaikh Rasheed