Duleep Trophy 2026: 3 players who are missing the final

1. KL Rahul

KL Rahul was added to the South Zone squad alongside Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal ahead of the final. However, he did not report to the squad, and South Zone captain Tilak Varma confirmed at the pre-match press conference on September 5 that Rahul would not be part of the playing XI, saying: "KL bhai isn't there." No official reason was provided for his non-participation.

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Rahul had been in reasonable form before the final, having scored 135 runs across three innings at an average of 45 during India's tour of Sri Lanka. With Rahul unavailable, Devdutt Padikkal, who struck two centuries in two Tests in Sri Lanka, is expected to bat at number three, with Ricky Bhui and N. Jagadeesan set to open the innings for South Zone.