The Duleep Trophy final between South Zone and Central Zone, set to begin on Thursday at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, offers a platform for young cricketers like Ravichandran Smaran and Danish Malewar to catch the selectors' attention amid a lineup depleted by India A commitments.

With key players such as Central Zone's Harsh Dubey, Khaleel Ahmed, and Yash Thakur absent due to national duties, the focus shifts to emerging stars making waves in domestic cricket. Smaran, the 22-year-old Karnataka left-hander, has impressed with 516 runs in seven first-class matches at an average of 64.50, including two centuries, while also shining in List A and T20 formats. Similarly, Malewar's 1,077 runs in 11 first-class games, featuring three hundreds and standout performances in earlier Duleep rounds, position him as a rising force.

These first-season wonders, including 19-year-old Tamil Nadu batter Andre Siddarth with a stellar 612-run debut season at an average of 68, are eager to build on their early successes and secure spots in upcoming India A assignments. The match serves as a crucial audition for these players, highlighting the depth of talent in domestic cricket.

South Zone's batting lineup, led by captain Mohammed Azharuddeen, boasts depth with seven batters, while Central Zone relies on skipper Rajat Patidar for experience amidst the absences. Azharuddeen emphasised a straightforward strategy, stating, "We are keeping things very simple. If you are batting first or second, we just want to put up a huge score."

The bowling departments feature reliable domestic performers, with Central Zone's 33-year-old pacer Deepak Chahar seeking to make an impact after taking two wickets in 29 overs during the tournament. South Zone, missing batters Devdutt Padikkal and Narayan Jagadeesan, will lean on bowlers like Gurjapneet Singh and Vasuki Koushik to exploit any pitch conditions.

Azharuddeen noted the Bengaluru wicket's batting-friendly nature, suggesting the final could turn into a high-scoring affair if the sluggish pitch persists, while expressing confidence in replacements for the absent players.

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As both teams prepare for a competitive clash, the line-ups reflect a mix of youth and experience. Central Zone: Rajat Patidar (c), Ayush Pandey, Danish Malewar, Shubham Sharma, Sanchit Desai, Yash Rathod, Nachiket Bhute, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Aditya Thakare, Upendra Yadav (wk), Ajay Singh Kukna, Akshay Wadkar (wk), Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, Saransh Jain.

South Zone: Mohammed Azharuddeen (c and wk), Ricky Bhui (vc), Ravichandran Smaran, Kale M, Sheikh Rasheed, Tanmay Agarwal, Salman Nizar, Andre Siddarth, Tanay Thyagarajan, Gurjapneet Singh, MD Nidheesh, Vasuki Koushik, Ankit Sharma, T Vijay, and Basil NP. Stand-bys: Mohit Redkar, Snehal Kautankar, Eden Apple Tom, Ajay Rohera, and G. Anikeeth Reddy.

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