Cheteshwar Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav added to West Zone Duleep Trophy 2023 squad- Report

West Zone to play their first Duleep Trophy match in July 5.

Cheteshwar Pujara, and Suryakumar Yadav were added to the West Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2023 after they were not included in the recently announced India contingent for the West Indies Test series.

As per a Times of India report, the duo is set to replace Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who have been named in the Indian squad for the Test series which begins in Dominica on July 12.

Pujara struggled in the World Test Championship Final and registered low scores in both innings 14 and 27. He played county cricket for Sussex ahead of the all-important clash but failed to replicate his form in the Indian colors.

“The selectors and the coach (Rahul Dravid) wanted to try out youngsters like Jaiswal and Gaikwad, which is why Pujara has not been picked for this tour. If he scores runs in domestic cricket, the doors are not closed on him, and that has been communicated to him,” a reliable source told TOI.

West Zone plays their first match in the Duleep Trophy on July 5, when they take on the winners of the Central versus East Zone in the semifinals, at Alur.

The upcoming two-match Test series in the Caribbean also marks the beginning of India’s 2023-25 WTC cycle.