CHENNAI: Hours after South Zone skipper Tilak Varma expressed his interest to lead the team in the Duleep Trophy final this week, it is understood that the India T20I vice-captain will take part in the summit clash against East Zone in Chennai before joining the national team for the Afghanistan series.
Tilak, who led from the front with an unbeaten century and an unconquered fifty to help South beat North in the semifinal, is a part of the team that will play Afghanistan in three T20Is from September 13 in New Delhi. This led to the question of whether he will take part in the Duleep final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium from September 6.
On Wednesday, when asked in Bengaluru after the match, Tilak had expressed his keenness to play the match. "I want to play the final," he told the assembled media after the game. "But I don't know, this match has finally finished. I think the Afghanistan game is on the 13th, so, yeah, I am ready to play the final because I love to play. Between the final and the first game, we have to two days' break. So, if I report on the 11th, practice on the 12th, and, from there, I can go to the match. That's how I feel. But, again, it goes to the selectors and team management. We will have a chat."
Later in the evening, it was confirmed that the skipper is set to play in the final. However, it Vidwath Kaveerapa, who went off the field on Day 3 due to swollen ankle, is likely to miss out. And the Karnataka pacer is set to be replaced by another seamer from the standbys. Apart from that, not many changes are expected in the squad that played against North Zone in the semifinal at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
Kishan, Sooryavanshi may join the fray
As is the case with Varma, East Zone too will be bolstered by the presence of their skipper Ishan Kishan and his deputy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Both are part of the T20I side and may follow Varma's path.
Meanwhile, Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar, who claimed 3/56 and 4/44 in the two innings against Central Zone in the semifinal to help East Zone win the contest, is also expected to feature in the final.
Initially there were some doubts over his presence as he is expected to join a County team. A source in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) told TNIE that the pacer expressed his wish to play the final. "He spoke to CAB president Sourav Ganguly in this regard. A plan will be chalked out to make sure his County commitments did not get hamper," said the source.
Just like Auqib Nabi, who recently joined Surrey, Mukesh along with another Bengal pacer Mohammed Shami is expected to feature in County cricket in England. However, which teams they are going to be associated with are yet not clear.
