India wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who was named as the captain of the Central Zone for the Duleep Trophy 2025 has been ruled out of the domestic tournament.
With the home series against West Indies and South Africa coming up and Rishabh Pant out with a fractured foot, the Duleep Trophy was a great opportunity for Jurel to perform and audition for a spot in the India Test team's middle order.
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However, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) will not play the reminder of the matches after missing the opening match.
Akshay Wadkar joins Central Zone as Dhruv Jurel replacement
Jurel, who has 1515 runs in 25 FC matches, averages 47.34, had missed the Quarter-Final against the North East Zone due to a groin injury.
Usman Ghani, the Central Zone coach, has now confirmed that the 24-year-old will also miss the semi-final of the tournament due to dengue, as reported by The Hitavada.
Vidarbha's Ranji title-winning skipper Akshay Wadkar has joined the team in Bengaluru for the semi-final against West Zone, possibly as a backup to Aryan Jural.
"Yes, Wadkar has been included in the Central Zone team since Jurel is suffering from dengue. He is not available for the next game and we needed one more stumper in the side, said the Ranji Trophy-winning coach.
Wadkar previously missed the squad due to Jurel gaining prominence as an India player, as per the BCCI diktat, the same report said.
The 31-year-old, who scored 722 runs in 10 matches of the Ranji Trophy 2024/25 campaign, is known for holding his nerves under pressure, preventing collapses and leading his team from the front.
With two centuries in Ranji Trophy winning finals and multiple other impactful knocks, he boasts of an FC record of 3865 runs in 61 matches, at an average of 49.
Central Zone squad packed with Ranji champions Vidarbha
Alongside Wadkar, Yash Thakur was also added to the team as a replacement for wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is off for his India duty for the Asia Cup.
This could set a new record for the most number of Vidarbha players in the playing XI of a Duleep Trophy match, just a week after 4 stars featured in the Quarter Final.
Notably, all four players from the Ranji-winning squad played important roles in taking CZ to the semi-final of the competition.
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Below is the list of Vidarbha players in the Central Zone squad:
- Danish Malewar
- Yash Rathod
- Harsh Dubey
- Akshay Thakare
- Akshay Wadkar
- Yash Thakur
The Central Zone will face the West Zone from Thursday, September 4, at 9:30 am (IST) at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.