Saralnama
The Duleep Trophy 2025 started on 28 Aug with six zonal teams competing. The tournament returned to its traditional zonal format after using different team styles in recent years. Teams include North, South, East, West, Central, and North East Zones. Players like Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami are part of the squads. The tournament is important for players to impress selectors ahead of India A matches and a busy Test calendar. Central Zone is led by Dhruv Jurel, while East Zone is captained by Abhimanyu Easwaran. West Zone, led by Shardul Thakur, looks strong with players like Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The Duleep Trophy is seen as a key event for players aiming to play for India in red-ball cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made participation mandatory for contracted players when not on national duty. The matches will run until 15 Sep, setting the stage for the domestic season. (Updated 28 Aug 2025, 09:22 IST; source: link)