Team India opener to miss Duleep Trophy 2026 final

Team India Test opener KL Rahul will not play in the 2026 Duleep Trophy final, starting September 6 in Chennai. There were reports of him representing South Zone against East Zone, but the veteran is not available for the mega contest. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal have been added to the South Zone squad.

South Zone captain Tilak Varma confirmed that Rahul will not be playing in the final, but the addition of Siraj and Padikkal will add more firepower to the starting XI of their team. The trio helped India complete a 1-0 Test series victory over Sri Lanka. Padikkal amassed 328 runs at an average of 109, including two hundreds.

"KL bhai isn't there," Tilak told reporters.

Rahul posted 135 runs at an average of 45. Siraj took 4 wickets at an average of 26 in two red-ball games. South Zone have won 13 Duleep Trophy titles and finished runners-up last year, going down to Central Zone by six wickets in the final.

Tilak also recalled his happy memories of Chennai. 

"We have good memories here, and the ground is historic. When you come here, the first thing that comes to mind is Mahi bhai. I have got very good memories. The crowd in Chennai has been supportive. Whether I play for Mumbai Indians or India, the fans have backed me. This is a great sign for me," he added.

Team India players to play the Duleep Trophy final before the T20I series vs Afghanistan

Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who are part of the Team India squad for the Afghanistan T20I series, will feature in the final of the Duleep Trophy 2026. The summit clash will finish on September 10, with the series opener against Afghanistan starting on September 13.

Earlier, there were reports of Kishan, Tilak and Sooryavanshi missing the final due to the AFG vs IND series, but it seems the decision-makers have given the nod to the trio to participate in the knockout game. 

Tilak and Kishan spoke to the media on the eve of the match and confirmed the participation of three players.

Tilak scored 116* and 51* across two innings in South Zone's win over North Zone in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Soorayavanshi added 92 and 40 to East Zone's total in their semi-final win over Central Zone.

Kishan was not consistent, but his unbeaten 39 during the run chase played a key role in East Zone's success in the semis.