Shreyas Iyer reportedly declined the chance to captain West Zone in the Duleep Trophy, and therefore Shardul Thakur was chosen to lead instead.
With the Duleep Trophy 2025 fast approaching, West Zone have named India all-rounder Shardul Thakur as captain for the tournament. The side finished as runners-up in the previous edition and will aim to go one step further this time.
However, Thakur was not the selectors’ first choice for the leadership role. According to reports from Mumbai Mirror, the West Zone selection panel, led by chairman Sanjay Patil, had initially approached Shreyas Iyer to lead the team. The Mumbai batter chose not to take up the offer.
“Yes, it’s true that Iyer declined the offer from the West Zone selection committee to captain the team. Following that, committee chairman Sanjay Patil, who is also the Mumbai chief selector, approached Thakur to lead the side-an opportunity Thakur gladly accepted,” a source was quoted as saying.
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Earlier, Shreyas Iyer’s omission from India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad had raised eyebrows, especially after his strong season with Punjab Kings in the IPL. He amassed 604 runs in 17 matches at an average above 50, yet the All India Men’s Senior Selection Committee overlooked him for the continental event.
Iyer will now be a key figure in West Zone’s middle order for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The batting unit also features Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harvik Desai and Sarfaraz Khan.
West Zone Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harvik Desai, Aarya Desai, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Shreyas Iyer, Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani, Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Arzan Nagwaswalla, Manan Hingrajia, Saurabh Nawale, Jaymeet Patel
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Last Updated on August 24, 2025
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