Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named captain of the West Zone squad for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy, with the selectors announcing a strong 15-member squad for the domestic season opener. The tournament begins on August 23 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Gaikwad, who captains Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and recently served as vice-captain of the India A team during the tri-series in Sri Lanka, will lead a side featuring several experienced domestic stars. Mumbai all-rounder Shams Mulani has been appointed vice-captain.
Prithvi Shaw earns another opportunity
The biggest talking point is the return of Prithvi Shaw to the West Zone squad. The former India opener, who switched from Mumbai to Maharashtra ahead of the previous domestic season, was overlooked last year but has now earned a recall.
West Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy 2026 is here! 🏆🔥
— SportsTiger (@The_SportsTiger) July 20, 2026
Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead a star-studded side featuring Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande and more. 👑🏏#DuleepTrophy #WestZone #RuturajGaikwad #IndianCricket pic.twitter.com/MWKmdPOx5E
Shaw was first selected for the Duleep Trophy in 2017 as a 17-year-old prodigy. However, injuries and inconsistent form have slowed his progress in recent years.
Having not played an IPL match since 2024, the 26-year-old will look to use the Duleep Trophy as a platform to revive his career.
Strong squad for West Zone
West Zone have picked a balanced squad with experienced campaigners such as Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Choudhary alongside Gaikwad and Shaw.
CAPTAIN RUTURAJ GAIKWAD IS BACK 🔥
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 20, 2026
– Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead West Zone in Duleep Trophy 2026. [Devendra Pandey]
Shaw, Musheer, Sarfaraz, Urvil, Thakur, Mukesh, Tushar are part of the team. pic.twitter.com/AqKA7WQDS4
Meanwhile, young Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre has missed out after suffering an injury during the latter half of IPL 2026.
West Zone will also be aiming for a better showing after last season’s campaign ended in the semi-finals. They were knocked out by Central Zone, who advanced on the basis of a first-innings lead before going on to win the title.
With an experienced core and several players looking to impress the national selectors, West Zone will be among the favourites when the Duleep Trophy gets underway later next month.
