Tilak Varma Appointed Captain of South Zone for Dilip Trophy

Visakhapatnam, August 2: Indian T20 team vice-captain Tilak Varma has been named the captain of the South Zone’s 15-member squad for the upcoming Dilip Trophy. The tournament will take place from August 23 to September 10 at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Andhra batsman Ricky Bhui will serve as the vice-captain, while experienced Level 2 coach MN Vikram Varma from Andhra has been appointed as the head coach.

Tilak was recently part of the Indian T20 team that achieved a 3-0 victory against Zimbabwe. However, he faced challenges as captain during tours to Ireland and England, where the team lost 0-2 and 0-4 in T20 series, respectively.

The selection committee meeting was convened by SANA Satish Babu, secretary of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA). Former Ranji Trophy player RV Chandramouli Prasad chaired the selection panel. Representatives from all seven southern state units, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Hyderabad, Goa, Puducherry, and Kerala, participated in the meeting.

The team features experienced batsman Karun Nair, along with promising players like Karnataka’s R Smaran and Hyderabad’s Himateja. Sheikh Rasheed, who was part of the India ‘A’ team that defeated Sri Lanka ‘A’ 1-0, has also been included. Goa’s batsman Abhinav Tejarana is part of the squad, while Tamil Nadu’s N. Jagadeesan will take on wicketkeeping duties.

Due to their performance last season, the South Zone team has secured a direct entry into the semifinals. They will begin their campaign against the winner of Quarterfinal 2 on August 30 at BCCI COE Ground 2.

Left-arm spinner Tanay Tyagarajan and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal will lead the spin bowling department, while K Sai Teja, Tripurna Vijay, Vidwath Kaverappa, and MD Nidhish will handle the pace attack.

South Zone Team: N Tilak Varma (Captain), Ricky Bhui (Vice-Captain), Abhinav Tejarana, Sheikh Rasheed, KM Himateja, R Smaran, N. Jagadeesan (Wicketkeeper), Karun Nair, Tanay Tyagarajan, Shreyas Gopal, K. Sai Teja, T. Vijay, Vidwath Kaverappa, H. Aman Khan, and MD Nidhish.