5 big names who flopped in Duleep Trophy 2026 ft. Rajat Patidar

Quite a few big names had a poor campaign in Duleep Trophy 2026.

The Duleep Trophy 2026 underlined the depth of India’s domestic cricket system, giving several emerging cricketers a platform equivalent to that of several established players. This tournament often helps young Indian cricketers strengthen their case for higher honours. 

While players like Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Mohammed Shami and Tilak Varma made headlines with their impressive performances, a few of India’s most high-profile names struggled to pull off even a mediocre outing. 

Here are the five stars who, despite much anticipation, wrapped up Duleep Trophy 2026 on a very underwhelming note. One of these players is a celebrated cricketer from the Indian Test team. 

5 stars who flopped in Duleep Trophy 2026

5. Rajat Patidar – Central Zone 

Central Zone were the champions of Duleep Trophy 2025-26, and their skipper, Rajat Patidar, was one of the most impactful players in that edition of the competition. However, the Central Zone skipper struggled to produce anything special this time around. 

Rather, he was dismissed twice by Mukesh Kumar during the semi-final clash against East Zone, where he managed 12 and 5 runs across the two innings. His dismissals contributed to Central’s inability to build substantial totals. 

4. Saransh Jain – Central Zone 

Another breakout star from the Central Zone side, Saransh Jain made his debut for India just a few days back during the SL vs IND 2nd Test in Colombo. However, his start to a new domestic season was disastrous by anyone’s standards. 

Jain returned with scores of 13 and 1 in the two innings with the bat and managed only 1/45 with the ball in East Zone’s successful chase. With the likes of Tanush Kotian and Harsh Dubey emerging as strong contenders for the Indian side as spin-bowling all-rounders, Jain’s ordinary outing can be a big blow to his India dreams. 

3. Prithvi Shaw – West Zone 

Prithvi Shaw‘s return to Duleep Trophy was another disappointment. Representing West Zone, Shaw managed just 28 runs in two innings, averaging 14.00. His inability to convert his starts was once again prominent during West Zone’s second-innings chase against North Zone. 

While Shaw needed a strong domestic run to add more to his voice, which often demands a spot in the Indian team, his outing finished with little to show for his opportunities. 

2. Urvil Patel – West Zone

Chennai Super Kings’ rising star batter Urvil Patel has been largely regarded for his wide array of shots and his explosiveness. After a promising Ranji season, he was picked for the West Zone side in the Duleep Trophy, but the CSK cricketer failed to produce his desired impact. 

He was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and then managed a 25 off 35 balls in West Zone’s chase against North Zone in the quarter-final. Despite his reputation as an explosive batter, his inability to produce an impact in West Zone’s campaign was a major disappointment. 

1. Mohammed Siraj – South Zone 

Mohammed Siraj entered the Duleep Trophy final with the expectations of providing the South Zone some experience in their pace bowling attack. Siraj’s participation was also aimed at improving his pace, which has declined since the Afghanistan Test series. 

However, the Indian fast bowler had a disastrous outing in the first innings of final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. He bowled 25 overs and finished with 0/140 at an economy of 5.60. He was the worst of the pacers on show in the Duleep Trophy final, with Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar and MD Nidheesh outperforming him consistently. 

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