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Ruturaj Gaikwad has been appointed captain of West Zone for the season-opening 2026-27 Duleep Trophy, which gets underway on August 23, while experienced left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Shams Mulani has been named vice-captain.
The leadership duo will spearhead a star-studded West Zone squad as they aim to begin the domestic season on a strong note, as per ESPNcricinfo. The squad boasts six Mumbai players, including all-rounder Shardul Thakur and batter Sarfaraz Khan. Former Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw has also earned a spot after an impressive maiden Ranji Trophy season with Maharashtra in 2025-26. Shaw amassed 537 runs in 11 innings at an average of 48.81, highlighted by a blistering 156-ball 222 against Chandigarh that featured the third-fastest century in Ranji Trophy history. Nineteen-year-old Mumbai batter Aayush Mhatre was not considered for selection as he continues to recover from hamstring and wrist injuries that cut short his IPL 2026 campaign with Chennai Super Kings after just six appearances. Mhatre is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and remains unavailable for selection. The six-team competition will be played from August 23 to September 10 at the Centre of Excellence premises. West Zone lost to eventual champions Central Zone in the semi-final of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy. West Zone squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Shams Mulani (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Tanush Kotian, Harvik Desai (wk), Jaymeet Patel, Urvil Patel, Siddharth Desai, Atit Sheth, Prithvi Shaw, Shivalik Sharma and Mukesh Choudhary. (ANI)
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