SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir will have a record six players in the North Zone squad for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy, with wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan appointed captain of the side.
The North Zone squad was announced on August 3, with six JK players selected following the Union Territory’s Ranji Trophy championship-winning season.
The JK players in the main squad are Wadhawan, Qamran Iqbal, Abdul Samad, Abid Mushtaq, Sunil Kumar and Yudhvir Singh. Delhi all-rounder Ayush Badoni has been named vice-captain.
JKCA middle-order batter Shubham Singh Pundir and all-rounder Sahil Lotra have been included in the standby list.
Delhi has the second-highest representation in the squad with four players. The side also includes India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj.
The selection gives Jammu and Kashmir its largest-ever representation in the Duleep Trophy, according to the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
JKCA Officiating President Desh Rattan Dubey and Secretary Vivek Khajuria congratulated the selected players and said the achievement reflected the combined efforts of coaches, selectors, players and administrators.
JK will also have a presence in the North Zone support staff. Ajay Sharma, head coach of the JK Ranji Trophy team, has been appointed head coach of the North Zone side, while Abhijeet Singh Bundela will serve as team physiotherapist and Naresh as masseur.
Former first-class cricketer and Chairman of the JKCA Senior Men’s Selection Committee Sarabjeet Singh represented the association during the selection process chaired by former India cricketer Chetan Sharma.
The 15-member North Zone squad comprises Kanhaiya Wadhawan (captain), Sanat Sangwan, Qamran Iqbal, Yash Dhull, Ayush Doseja, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni (vice-captain), Nishant Sindhu, Arjun Sharma, Abid Mushtaq, Arshdeep Singh, Sunil Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, Yudhvir Singh and Nikhil Kashyap.
The standbys are Nakul Sharma, Jagjit Singh Sandhu, Harpreet Brar, Arjun Azad, Uday Saharan, Akash Vashisht, Harnoor Singh, Shubham Pundir and Sahil Lotra.
The North Zone is a composite first-class team comprising players from northern Ranji Trophy associations, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Services, and competes in the Duleep Trophy.
