South Zone captain Tilak Varma has confirmed that Devdutt Padikkal will bat at No. 3 when his team faces East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final on Sunday, September 6. Shaik Rasheed is expected to make way for Padikkal after managing scores of 0 and 1 in the semifinal against North Zone.
Padikkal recently made the most of his chance in the Indian Test team after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out due to injury. He impressed during the Test series against Sri Lanka and will now look to carry that form into the Duleep Trophy final.
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A strong performance in the final could help South Zone win the title for the first time since 2023. It could also strengthen Padikkal’s case for a longer run at No. 3 for India.
South Zone could also have Mohammed Siraj in their XI, with the experienced pacer likely to replace the injured Vidwath Kaverappa. Siraj will be keen to find his rhythm ahead of India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand.
Tilak also explained the decision to open with Ricky Bhui. Bhui has opened in the past but has spent most of his recent cricket batting in the middle order.
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Earlier, PTI had reported that the selection committee wanted KL Rahul, Padikkal and Siraj to play in the Duleep Trophy final. However, Tilak confirmed on Saturday, September 5, that Rahul is not with the South Zone team in Chennai.