Cheteshwar Pujara, Sarfaraz Khan, Suryakumar Yadav included in West Zone squad

After being dropped from India test squad for WI tour, Cheteshwar Pujara has been added in West Zone squad.

Dropped from the Indian test squad, Cheteshwar Pujara is back playing in Indian domestic cricket. Pujara has been included in the West Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. Pujara was dropped from the Indian team after his poor show with the bat earlier this year in Border-Gavaskar Trophy and recently concluded World Test Championship Final against Australia. Along with Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav, Sarfaraz Khan, Priyank Panchal, and Prithvi Shaw have been added to the West Zone squad to play in the Duleep Trophy. Apart from Prithvi Shaw, all the other names were in contention for a place in the Indian team for the West Indies tour but no one could make it through. 

Gujarat Opening batter Priyank Panchal will be leading the West Zone side. Priyank Panchal was part of the Indian squad for a while in 2022. Cheteshwar Pujara will fly back to England after Duleep Trophy to play in the County Championship for Sussex. Fans and former Cricketers have come out in the open against Pujara’s exclusion from the Test squad. West Zone are the defending champions, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Baroda, Gujarat, and Saurashtra players feature in the West Zone. Due to their defending champions tag, West Zone will be playing their first game on 5th July as the first semi-final against the winner of Central Zone and East Zone.

West Zone squad for Duleep Trophy 2023:

Priyank Panchal (C), Harvik Desai (WK), Cheteshwar Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya, Chintan Gaja, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Shams Mulani, Arzan Nagwaswalla, Het Patel, Chetan Sakariya, Prithvi Shaw, Atit Sheth, Arpit Vasavada

Duleep Trophy will begin on 28th June with two games, North-East Zone taking on the North Zone at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. And the second game is at KSCA Stadium in Alur with Central Zone taking on East Zone. The winner of the two encounters will take on South Zone and West Zone respectively in the Semi-final scheduled on 5th July. The Final of the Duleep Trophy will be played on 12th July at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.