Is KL Rahul Playing Duleep Trophy Final 2026? Tilak Varma Confirms

The Duleep Trophy 2026 final between East Zone and South Zone is all set to be played from September 5 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The match will feature some of the top domestic players in the country, making this an exciting game for the fans.

But South Zone have suffered a blow even before the start of the Duleep Trophy final as KL Rahul won't be available. Rahul was earlier expected to join the South Zone team but Tilak Varma has provided a new update on his presence.

Is KL Rahul Playing Duleep Trophy Final?

According to RevSportz, KL Rahul has not joined the South Zone team and hence, he is not expected to play the final which will start from September 6 (Sunday). South Zone captain Tilak Varma confirmed it during the press conference just a day before the match.

Three India internationals KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj were reported to join the South Zone ahead of the all-important final clash. While Padikkal and Siraj have already joined the team, Rahul was unable to do so.

The reason is not yet confirmed, however, it might be a personal one. The BCCI or KL Rahul are yet to provide an update. The opener scored 135 runs in the two-match Test series, which India went on to win 1-0. KL Rahul Duleep Trophy final absence can hurt South Zone given his potential.

With no KL Rahul in South Zone squad, they are likely to retain their opening combination of Ricky Bhui and Narayan Jagadeesan. However, the experience of Rahul would have tilted the game in South Zone's favor as he is one of the best Test batsmen going around.

Cracker Of a Contest Loading

It is expected to be a cracker of a contest between two sides that won their respective semi-finals convincingly. South Zone defeated North Zone by 7 wickets on the back of a fantastic performance from captain Tilak Varma.

Meanwhile, East Zone defeated Central Zone with Mukesh Kumar and Mohammed Shami playing starring roles. Both the experienced Bengal quicks showed why they are amongst the best bowlers in India with some skilful fast bowling.