Jayant Yadav, the all-rounder from Haryana, has been appointed captain of the North Zone for the Duleep Trophy. This follows the news confirmed by Anirudh Chaudhry on Thursday that senior batter Mandeep Singh is unable to play due to an injury. Consequently, Nehal Wadhera of Punjab, who caught attention during his time with Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has been promoted from the standby list to the main team.
Haryana all-rounder Jayant Yadav will lead North Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy after senior batter Mandeep Singh was ruled out of the tournament owing to an injury, convenor of zonal committee Anirudh Chaudhry confirmed on Thursday. Punjab batter Nehal Wadhera, who has recently made an impression in IPL for Mumbai Indians and was in the stand-by list, has been named in the main squad.
In a recent press statement, Chaudhry explained that the Punjab Cricket Association alerted them early Thursday morning about Mandeep Singh's injury and his inability to participate. Following this news, a virtual meeting was held that evening between the North Zone Selection Committee members, with Chetan Sharma presiding over the session.
The selection panel agreed without hesitation that Nehal Wadhera was the right choice to replace Mandeep Singh. Wadhera's recent track record is impressive: during the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, he tallied 376 runs in just five matches, including a standout double-century of 214. He maintained this form in the IPL, providing valuable contributions as a left-handed batter for the Mumbai Indians.
Because Mandeep had been designated as captain, Chaudhry noted that the Committee selected off-spinner Jayant Yadav to take the helm for the tournament. The resulting squad appears very strong, offering a balanced mix of seasoned veterans and emerging talent. North Zone is scheduled to face North East Zone in a quarter-final clash at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium from June 28 through July 1.