Overview

• Shardul Thakur was named West Zone captain with Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dubey and Tushar Deshpande confirming availability for the August 28 opener.
• Veteran Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were omitted from the West Zone roster as part of workload management.
• Ishan Kishan will lead East Zone with Abhimanyu Easwaran appointed vice-captain in the zonal tournament.
• Mohammed Shami returns to first-class cricket after a nine-month red-ball hiatus with his inclusion in the East Zone squad.
• Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi was named among East Zone standbys, highlighting selectors’ focus on emerging talent.