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South Zone captain Tilak Varma has ended the speculation around the Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul’s availability for the Duleep Trophy 2026 final against East Zone, starting on Sunday (September 6) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Chennai.
Rahul was expected to join the South Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy 2026 final against East Zone. However, Tilak has now confirmed that Rahul will miss the summit clash. Earlier, Ajit Agarkar questioned over India’s full-strength Afghanistan T20I squad.
Tilak Varma confirms KL Rahul will miss Duleep Trophy Final
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, South Zone captain Tilak Varma has confirmed that KL Rahul would not be available for the Duleep Trophy 2026 final against East Zone in Chennai.
The South Zone captain was quoted as saying by Revsportz, "KL bhai (Rahul) isn’t there.”
Rahul’s absence comes as a surprise because he, along with Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal, was initially expected to play in the final. All these three stars were recently part of India’s Test series in Sri Lanka. Well, the South Zone will have the big boost in the form of Padikkal and Siraj for the title clash.
Devdutt Padikkal’s red-hot form gives South Zone big boost
Devdutt Padikkal will be one of the key batters in the South Zone batting line-up. He is coming into the final with excellent form after the Player of the Series performance in Sri Lanka.
The left-handed batter scored 328 runs at an impressive average of 109.33 as India won the two-match Test series 1-1 in Sri Lanka. And Tilak Varma is confident that Padikkal’s form can make a big difference to the team and will make the batting unit stronger.
Tilak said, “His coming into the side will really strengthen our batting lineup. 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.”
The South Zone captain has also confirmed that Padikkal will bat at No. 3, while Ricky Bhui, who opened in the semi-final, will open alongside N. Jagadeesan in the summit clash in Chennai. Amid this, Ishan Kishan backs Mohammed Shami for India comeback ahead of Duleep Trophy 2026 final.
Mohammed Siraj adds experience to young attack
Mohammed Siraj will also be available for the Duleep Trophy 2026 final, giving a massive boost to the South Zone. And the captain admitted that the experience of Siraj and Padikkal could be very important in a high-pressure final against the East Zone in Chennai.
Tilak said, “It will be a big boost for us with the kind of form they are in. It will be really helpful. They can share their experience with the players since we have quite a few young players on the side.”
South Zone consider off-spinner for final
The South Zone are also thinking about making another important change to their bowling attack. The team is considering playing an off-spinner against the East Zone because their opponents have multiple left-handed batters.
Notably, Tripurana Vijay is the main off-spinner in the South Zone squad.
Tilak further shared, “Yes, we are planning to play an off-spinner because they have three left-handers. We will have a look at the wicket tomorrow.”
