Dhruv Jurel has been appointed as captain of the Central Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025-26 season, as announced on August 7, 2025.

He will be captaining a strong 15-member side that includes MP’s Rajat Patidar and UP’s Kuldeep Yadav. Jurel was recently seen in action in the England v India five-Test Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and played in the final Test at the Oval.

A solid team comprising both seasoned players and up-and-coming talent has been selected by the Central Zone selection committee. Rajat Patidar must receive fitness clearance from the Centre of Excellence before playing in the event, hence his inclusion in the squad is subject to a condition.

Despite not playing in the Ranji Trophy the previous season, Jurel's outstanding performances during India A's visit to England led to his appointment as captain. He has been given the job of heading the Central Zone team due to his recent international exposure and leadership abilities.

Surprisingly, Karun Nair, who scored 863 runs in the last Ranji Trophy tournament for Vidarbha, was a notable exclusion.

Aryan Juyal, Danish Malewar, and Sanchit Desai are among the batting group's talents, while Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmed, two seasoned players, bolster the bowling attack.  

Six players have also been designated as squad standbys by the selection committee. If needed, these individuals can be called upon: Madhav Kaushik, Yash Thakur, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mahipal Lomror, Kuldeep Sen, and Upendra Yadav.

This announcement follows the naming of Shubman Gill as the captain of North Zone earlier on the same day, as the preparations for the Duleep Trophy 2025-26 begin to take shape.

Central Zone squad: Dhruv Jurel (C/WK), Rajat Patidar (subject to fitness clearance), Aryan Juyal, Danish Malewar, Sanchit Desai, Kuldeep Yadav, Aditya Thakare, Deepak Chahar, Saransh Jain, Ayush Pandey, Shubham Sharma, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, and Khaleel Ahmed.