Shubman Gill to Lead North Zone in Duleep Trophy After Stellar England Series

Fresh from a record-breaking Test series against England, Shubman Gill will captain North Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, starting August 28 in Bengaluru. The 24-year-old batter, in his first Test assignment as India skipper, scored a staggering 754 runs at an average of 75.4, including four centuries, during the recently concluded 2-2 series draw.

Gill will lead a 15-member squad featuring key names such as fast bowlers Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana. Kamboj, who made his Test debut in the fourth match at Old Trafford, will be looking to build on his promising start, while Arshdeep, part of the England tour squad but unused, will aim to make an impact in domestic red-ball cricket.

The Duleep Trophy will run until September 15, overlapping with the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates. This raises the possibility of last-minute changes to the North Zone squad if players are called up for national duty. Should Gill be picked for India’s T20I side, Services’ Shubham Rohilla will step in as captain and player. Similarly, if Arshdeep and Harshit are selected, Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar and Haryana’s Anuj Thakral will replace them.

This year’s Duleep Trophy marks a return to the traditional zonal format, offering Gill valuable leadership experience in First Class cricket. The opener has captained in 10 First Class matches so far, but this will be his first time leading North Zone in the prestigious tournament.

The squad also boasts experienced campaigners such as vice-captain Ankit Kumar, India U-19 World Cup-winning captain Yash Dhull, and versatile all-rounder Nishant Sindhu. Mayank Dagar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, and wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan round out a balanced side with a mix of youth and experience.

North Zone Squad:
Shubman Gill (c), Shubham Khajuria, Ankit Kumar (vc), Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull, Ankit Kalsi, Nishant Sindhu, Sahil Lotra, Mayank Dagar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk)
Stand-by: Shubham Arora (wk), Jaskaranvir Singh Paul, Ravi Chauhan, Abid Mushtaq, Nishunk Birla, Umar Nazir, Divesh Sharma

With his sublime form in England and a chance to refine his captaincy skills, Gill’s presence adds significant weight to North Zone’s campaign. Whether or not he is available for the full tournament could depend on Asia Cup selection, but his immediate focus will be to guide his team to domestic glory before turning attention back to international cricket.