Team India suffered a setback ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, as promising batter Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the tournament starting September 9. Tilak, who represents Hyderabad in domestic cricket and has been a regular in India’s T20I setup, was earlier scheduled to lead South Zone in the Duleep Trophy clash from September 5–8. His unavailability forced the selectors to make last-minute changes.
Adding to the concerns, R Sai Kishore will also miss the competition due to a hand injury. To fill the void, the South Zone selectors have drafted in Ankit Sharma and Shaik Rasheed as replacements.
With Tilak sidelined, Kerala’s Mohammed Azharuddeen will now captain the South Zone team, having initially been named vice-captain. The squad also features Narayan Jagadeesan, who recently represented India in the fifth Test against England.
South Zone will take on North Zone in the semi-final from September 4–7 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, while Central Zone meets West Zone in the other semi-final. The Duleep Trophy final is scheduled between September 11–15.
Meanwhile, in the Asia Cup, Tilak Varma was expected to continue at the No. 3 batting position, with Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma likely to open the innings. The squad dynamics may also see Sanju Samson making way for finisher Jitesh Sharma in the playing XI.
India will open their campaign against UAE on September 10, followed by crucial group-stage fixtures against Pakistan and Oman.
