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BCCI Slams South Zone For Dropping KL Rahul, Siraj; Issues Stern Warning To State Units

Akshita Patel

BCCI takes action on Siraj, KL Rahul's exclusion from Duleep Trophy [Source: @LordGod188, @mdsirajofficial/X.com]BCCI takes action on Siraj, KL Rahul's exclusion from Duleep Trophy [Source: @LordGod188, @mdsirajofficial/X.com]

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not happy with the South Zone selectors for dropping international names like KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj from the squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. According to reports, the board has asked all state units to prioritise international players for domestic tournaments.

The tournament, starting August 28 in Bengaluru, is seen as a gateway for players to impress selectors. Hence, the decision to sideline national stars has upset the BCCI, which considers the Duleep Trophy an important domestic tournament to test both national and upcoming talents.

BCCI Issues Strong Directive To Zonal Units After Duleep Trophy Goof Up

According to The Indian Express, BCCI’s general manager of cricket operations, Abey Kuruvilla, wrote an email to zonal convenors and state associations last week. 

In it, he stressed that all available Indian players must be picked to “uphold the prestige and quality” of the tournament. 

He also reminded selectors that international players are expected to feature in domestic cricket unless they have official approval from both the national coach and selection committee to skip it. 

Interestingly, apart from KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj, the South Zone also didn’t include Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, and Sai Sudharsan, even though most of these players were available during the off-season.

Meanwhile, Tilak Varma has been named captain of the South Zone, but it is still unclear if the squad will be revised after the BCCI’s intervention. In contrast, other zones are expected to feature several Indian stars, including Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Shreyas Iyer.

Duleep Trophy To Begin From August 28

The BCCI earlier confirmed that the Duleep Trophy 2025 will be played from August 28 to September 15 in Bengaluru. Returning to the inter-zonal format, the tournament will feature teams from six zones: North, South, East, West, Central, and North-East. 

As per the schedule, South and West Zones have earned direct entry into the semifinals, while East vs North and Central vs North-East will clash in the quarterfinals from August 28–31. 

The semifinals are slated for September 4-7, followed by the final on September 11. All matches will be held at the Centre of Excellence grounds in Bengaluru.