Divya Delhi: India's home cricket calendar begins on August 28 in Bengaluru with the Duleep Trophy. The event will return to its zonal format this year, featuring teams from around the country. West Zone unveiled a formidable roster before the competition, lead by pacer Shardul Thakur. Leading players include Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. This time, India's most experienced batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were removed, signaling a strategic change. Shardul Thakur as captain versus Shreyas Iyer is a subject of contention. Most expected Iyer to lead the team given his experience and stature. Why was he not chosen to lead? Answer: schedule and availability. Iyer may be called up by India for the 2025 Asia Cup, which begins on September 9. The selectors did not want to risk declaring a captain who might not be available for the full Duleep Trophy. Therefore, Shardul Thakur was given the duty because he is more likely to be accessible throughout the competition. Ironically, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, and Shivam Dube all indicated their interest in playing in the Duleep Trophy a day before the selection was announced. Iyer, who last played in February 2024 against England, wants back in the Test team. He has one century and five fifties from 14 Tests. Sarfaraz Khan, who played in the England series this year, wants to impress selectors again.