.jpg?type=hq)
Sarfaraz Khan - (Source: AFP)
On Sunday, August 9, the BCCI revised India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka Tests and announced Sai Sudharsan’s replacement. The apex cricket board of India roped in Sarfaraz Khan to replace the injured Gujarat Titans opener.
Sai Sudharsan had not travelled to Sri Lanka and was doubtful for the upcoming Tests for a long time. Therefore, Sarfaraz Khan was already giving his fitness tests at the CoE and has now joined the team in Colombo for the first Test, which begins on August 15.
Sarfaraz Khan Opts Out Of Duleep Trophy; Replacement Named
Sarfaraz Khan’s India call-up has resulted in the right-handed batter pulling out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy season. The six-team tournament will mark the beginning of India’s domestic cycle from August 23.
Notably, Khan was named in West Zone’s squad, but in the latest developments, his replacement has been finalised as well. A report from Gaurav Gupta of Times of India mentioned that Saurashtra batter Jay Gohil has now been added to the West Zone squad.
Will West Zone Miss Sarfaraz Khan?
Sarfaraz Khan needs no introduction in the domestic circuit. The 28-year-old has been famously dubbed the ‘Don Bradman of Domestic Cricket’. Shedding light on Khan’s performance in First-Class cricket, he has scored 5114 runs in 92 innings, averaging 64.73.
Also Read: Sarfaraz Khan Drops 1st Reaction After Making India Comeback For Sri Lanka Tour
Hence, the West Zone side will surely be affected by Sarfaraz Khan’s absence because the Duleep Trophy is a major domestic tournament, particularly for West Zone, who are the most-successful side with 19 titles.
North Zone is also up there with 18 titles, and they have the chance to equal West Zone’s legacy. Now, with Sarfaraz Khan gone, North Zone’s title hopes have also gone up. However, the replacement, Jay Gohil, is a promising talent.
The right-handed batter had a brilliant Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra, where he scored 523 runs in 9 innings, averaging 58.11. The 25-year-old scored a century and missed out on one on two occasions.
In the 2022-23 season, Gohil captained Saurashtra to the Men's State A Under-25 title. However, Gohil will be under pressure because it will be his debut Duleep Trophy season.
Will Sarfaraz Khan Return For Later Half Of Duleep Trophy 2026?
As mentioned above, the Duleep Trophy 2026 starts on August 23, which will overlap with the 2nd Test between India and Sri Lanka. However, the Semi-final and final of the Duleep Trophy are on August 30 and September 6, respectively.
Now, the India series ends on August 27, and Sarfaraz still has a chance to rejoin the West Zone squad for the semis and final if his side qualifies for the next round. Although it seems unlikely, because Jay Gohil has replaced Khan and not just added to the squad as an extra player.
Further, there is a small window between the India vs Sri Lanka Test and the Duleep Trophy game. BCCI itself wouldn’t be keen on Sarfaraz Khan playing the Duleep Trophy match, as the board is already under the scanner because of the growing list of injured India cricketers.
West Zone's Updated Squad For Duleep Trophy 2026
Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Shams Mulani (vice-captain), Harvik Desai (wk), Urvil Patel (wk), Jaymeet Patel, Prithvi Shaw, Shivalik Sharma, Siddharth Desai, Jay Gohil, Musheer Khan, Atit Sheth, Mukesh Chaudhary, Tanush Kotian, Shardul Thakur, and Tushar Deshpande.
Also Read: Why Kuldeep Yadav Didn't Bowl On Day 3 Of India's Warm-up Match? Official Update Arrives
