Defending champions Central Zone retained Rajat Patidar as captain and appointed Rinku Singh as vice-captain for the 2026 Duleep Trophy. The 15-member squad will begin its title defence in the semi-finals at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

New Delhi, August 1, 2026: India batter Rajat Patidar has been retained as the captain of the Central Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which starts on August 23 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. With Patidar again leading the defending champions, left-handed batter Rinku Singh has been appointed vice-captain.

Strong Squad Named

Defending champions Central Zone, who secured their seventh title after defeating South Zone by six wickets in the previous edition's final in Bengaluru, have announced a strong 15-member squad aimed at retaining the crown.

In the batting line-up, Patidar, the leading run-scorer in last year's Duleep Trophy and a two-time IPL-winning captain, will have the likes of Rinku, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Chandela, Ayush Pandey, Aryan Juyal and Yash Rathod, the Player of the Match in last year's final with a majestic 194, to outclass opposition bowlers.