Ruturaj Gaikwad has been appointed captain of the West Zone squad for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy, marking another leadership responsibility for the 29-year-old batter ahead of the prestigious domestic tournament. Gaikwad, who captains Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and recently served as vice-captain to Tilak Varma during the India ‘A’ tri-series in Sri Lanka, will lead the inter-zonal side. Mumbai all-rounder Shams Mulani has been named vice-captain.
The West Zone squad features a strong Mumbai presence, with several experienced and emerging players earning selection. Among them are Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, Tushar Deshpande and Tanush Kotian, giving the side a balanced mix of batting depth and all-round options.
One of the notable inclusions is Prithvi Shaw, who returns to the West Zone setup after missing out on selection last season. Shaw, who switched from Mumbai to Maharashtra ahead of the previous domestic campaign, was first picked in a Duleep Trophy squad in 2017 as a 17-year-old prodigy. His career has witnessed several highs and lows since then, and the upcoming tournament presents another opportunity to make a strong statement.
The batter has not featured in an IPL match since 2024 and will be aiming to use the Duleep Trophy, traditionally the curtain-raiser to the domestic season, to rebuild momentum and strengthen his credentials.
Meanwhile, young Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre has not been included in the squad. The 19-year-old missed the second half of IPL 2026 because of injury and will have to wait for another opportunity to return to competitive action.
West Zone will also look to improve on last season’s performance. The team was knocked out in the semi-finals by Central Zone, who progressed on the basis of a first-innings lead. Led by Rajat Patidar, Central Zone went on to lift the Duleep Trophy title.
The 2026-27 Duleep Trophy is scheduled to begin on August 23, with all matches to be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
West Zone squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Shams Mulani (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Tanush Kotian, Harvik Desai (wk), Jaymeet Patel, Urvil Patel, Siddharth Desai, Atit Sheth, Prithvi Shaw, Shivalik Sharma and Mukesh Choudhary.
