Hanuma Vihari To Lead South Zone In Duleep Trophy 2023; Youngsters Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma Included In 15-Member Squad

Andhra batter Hanuma Vihari will lead the South Zone team in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2023, which is set to be held from the 28th of this month in Bangalore. Karnataka batter Mayank Agarwal will serve as deputy for Hanuma Vihari in the first-class competition.

Hanuma Vihari led the South Zone side to the Duleep Trophy 2022 final, where they were defeated by the West Zone. Vihari hasn’t played competitive cricket since suffering a forearm fracture while batting against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 quarterfinals.

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The South Zone Association’s selectors picked a 15-man squad for the upcoming knockout red-ball tournament. Indian wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat and his Andhra teammate Ricky Bhui were added as wicketkeepers. Bharat represented India in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final against Australia in London.

Tamil Nadu cricketers Washington Sundar, Sai Sudharsan, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, and Sai Kishore were named in the squad. Sai Sudharsan was a regular batsman for Tamil Nadu in the 2022-23 domestic season across the formats. Ravi Kumar Samarth and pace bowler Vyshak Vijaykumar have been picked from Karnataka.

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Following a disappointing performance by Indian batters in the WTC final against Australia, Indian selectors might be looking at younger talent. The tournament offers an ideal opportunity for youngsters to showcase their skills, as the Indian team have been going through a tough phase in red-ball cricket.

Kerala batsman Sachin Baby, Hyderabad batter Tilak Varma, and Goa spinner Darshan Misal are the only players selected from their respective state teams. Vihari and Mayank, who weren’t part of the Test team, aim to regain their place in the squad for the two-match series against the West Indies.

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Hanuma Vihari-led South Zone Squad For Duleep Trophy 2023:

Hanuma Vihari (c), Mayank Agarwal (vc), KS Bharat (wk), Ricky Bhui (wk), Sai Sudharshan, Washington Sundar, R Samarth, Tilak Varma, Sachin Baby, Sai Kishore, V Kaverappa, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, KV Sasikanth, Darshan Misal

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