The stage is set for the summit clash of the Duleep Trophy 2026; East Zone is taking on South Zone in the clash as the two sides meet at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, and both sides will hope to put in their best performance in the clash.
Ahead of the game, many fans would be wondering why ace batter KL Rahul is not in South Zone’s playing XI for their crucial clash against East Zone. It is interesting to note that KL Rahul was added to South Zone’s squad for the summit clash of the tournament.
However, speaking ahead of the clash, South Zone skipper Tilak Varma came forward and revealed that KL Rahul will not feature in the clash as he did not travel to Chennai for the game.
Tilak confirmed Rahul’s absence in the game in the pre-match press conference; however, it is interesting to note that apart from Rahul, the duo of Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj have made themselves available for the clash and are a part of South Zone’s playing XI.
Tilak Varma heaped praise on Devdutt Padikkal ahead of the game
It is interesting to note that with the inclusion of Devdutt Padikkal in South Zone’s squad for the game, the side will receive a huge boost. It is worth noting that Padikkal is coming on the back of marvellous centuries against Sri Lanka in a two-game Test series, and ahead of the game, Tilak Varma had come forward and heaped praise on Padikkal.
“Him (Devdutt Padikkal) coming into the side will really strengthen our batting line-up. The kind of form we have seen from him in the last two or three games has been really great, so having him will be a big boost for us. It will be a big boost for us with the kind of form they (Padikkal and Siraj) are in. It will be really helpful. They can share their experience with the players since we have quite a few young players in the side,” Tilak said.
Also Read:
