KL Rahul set to represent South Zone in Duleep Trophy [Source: AFP]In a massive development for the ongoing Duleep Trophy, several Indian stars are set to play the final at Chepauk, representing South Zone. India stars, who have been Test veterans, alongside a fresh face in the red-ball setup, have been added to South Zone's squad for the Duleep Trophy match against East Zone on September 6.KL Rahul set to represent South ZoneKL Rahul, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter, is set to play the Duleep Trophy final after coming off a decent Sri Lanka series, where he averaged 45.00. He played a valiant knock of 52 runs in the first innings of the first Test, which will boost his confidence ahead of representing his domestic zone in the prestigious tournament. For the unaware, Rahul has represented South Zone multiple times, with his most famous appearance coming in the 2014-15 final against Central Zone, where he scored 185 runs in the first innings and 130 in the second innings. That eventually helped him earn a maiden call-up to the Indian Test squad.Also Read- How Indian Team Players Performed In Duleep Trophy 2026 Semi-Finals?Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal added to South Zone arsenalMohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal will also feature for South Zone. Siraj also had a decent Sri Lanka series, where he finished with five wickets from the five innings he bowled in, at an economy rate of 2.46. His Test exploits against Afghanistan weren't impressive, as he could bag only one wicket. However, his inclusion in the South Zone squad will be a welcome development for the bowler, who has recently been looking for a drought break in his red-ball as well as white-ball career.Devdutt Padikkal, meanwhile, will be an asset for South Zone, since he has been in ravishing form in red-ball cricket. Even before playing in the Sri Lanka series, where he averaged 109.33 with two centuries to his name, Padikkal was a star performer for Karnataka in the Ranji Elite 2025-26 tournament too, where he registered one double century and a century at an average of 54.30.Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a threat to the India stars?Immediately after the Sri Lanka series, the call-up of these three India stars, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj, by South Zone might seem like a domestic duty. However, it indicates a far more imminent threat that the Indian players face.Recently, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has emerged as one of the most technically sound batters in red-ball cricket as well. He played in the Duleep Trophy 2026 for two matches. While his first match, representing East Zone in the quarter-final, ended in disappointment, he quickly regained his rhythm in the first semi-final, where, in the first innings, he produced an impressive 81-ball 92. He was technically sound with his bat and did not adopt the aggressive temperament that he is well known for in his T20I exploits.In the second innings, too, he produced 40 runs from 43 deliveries in a composed manner, averaging 46.67 at a strike rate of 107.69. If Sooryavanshi remains consistent in red-ball cricket as well, very soon there could be pressure on KL Rahul, as well as other Indian top-order batters, with the form he is showing.It is also important to note that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has proved himself as a bowler as well, with the left-arm orthodox spinner taking two wickets for 11 runs in the first quarter-final match of the Duleep Trophy 2026 against North East Zone.South Zone gets massive boost from KL Rahul, Padikkal additionSouth Zone reached the final by defeating North Zone in the second semi-final by seven wickets. East Zone, meanwhile, also had a tough competition after they kicked Central Zone out of the tournament in the first semi-final. If we look at the stats so far, India star Tilak Varma from South Zone has been the highest run-scorer for the team, with his 167 runs from two innings, which included an unbeaten 116.Overall, the competition will be intense, with South Zone batters looking a little dull in front of East Zone's top-order strikers like Sudip Gharami and Shahbaz Ahmed. However, South Zone's boost with KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal's arrival will surely add to the arsenal of strengthened top-order batters for the team, who are already familiar with the Chepauk soil since their domestic days.For the unaware, KL Rahul averages 118.5 in Chennai in Test cricket from just three innings, while having scored 237 runs and one century at a strike rate of 62.0.Also Read- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Should Be Worried? Afghanistan Players Who Can Trouble Indian Prodigy
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